Keep Hen from Sleeping in Nest Box

[laurelsh]

How can I keep one hen from sleeping in the nest box? She's making it very dirty for egg laying.

 

[Chickiemom25]

take them out at night if possible, cover them so they cant go in at night. Is she staying in all day?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally you need block them off or go out at dusk and move her until she moves herself.

The main reasons for nestbox sleeping is not enough roost space for the bottom birds to get away from the dominant birds without being pecked, and I sometimes see it more during the molt when chickens aren't feeling well and roosts seem uncomfortable.

 

[texsuze]

I have one hen who prefers to sleep in her nest box. Since I clean coops and boxes each morning, its not really a problem. All my eggs will get washed before being eaten, as well. Personally, I'd rather my girls be comfortable, so for me, I let them sleep where they choose, so long as it is inside their coop.

 

[Hope Hughes]

Hello!!!!
You could make a swing down door for the boxes. I use to go out after it got dark and put them on the roost and after a few days they got the point... they were young though.... still learning to roost
You may not have enough roost space for all the chickens so they are fighting over the space. And she is runnin from them. ​

 

[laurelsh]

There is plenty of roost space. She is a newer member of the flock though and since her 1st night in the coop has gone there to sleep. I put a burlap curtain over the nest boxes, but she still sleeps there. The nest boxes are permanently attached, so maybe I need to just clean out each morning and let her be.

 

[hlhutchinson]

There is plenty of roost space. She is a newer member of the flock though and since her 1st night in the coop has gone there to sleep. I put a burlap curtain over the nest boxes, but she still sleeps there. The nest boxes are permanently attached, so maybe I need to just clean out each morning and let her be.

I have one that after she went broody she decided to keep sleeping in the neast box I have started to put a 5 gal bucket in the nest box at night (I have one big neast box for my girls) I’m hoping this will help get her to go back to the roost, more worried about when winter sets in that she will have the heat of the other chickens to help keep her warm at night versus sleeping alone

 

[laurelsh]

I'm in California, so not too worried about cold nights right now.

 

[HattieScratchy]

I have 3 silkies and a polish roo that sleep in the nesting boxes.. the silkies probably can't fly up that high (they don't ever even flap their wings) and my polish roo is very attached to them so I figured that's why he sleeps there too.

 

[chickens really]

I have two that hate the nightly routine of bickering at roosting time...One sleeps in a nest box and the other on a 2x4 nailed to two stumps in the corner of the Coop...Not my House so I just let them be...Takes seconds to clean out poop from the nest box...