My chickens will not go in their nesting box!!

[WindingRoad]

I recently put my 6 chickens in their coop. ( For the 1st time ever) I've noticed they will not go up in to their nesting box, they lay on the ground all night. I've even put them in the nesting box when putting them away at night but the just fly out and back on the ground... Any suggestions?!? Am I doing something wrong?!?
Also this is my 1st time owning chickens.
I have 2 ambers 2 leghorns and 2 road island whites ...

Sometimes all 4 of my chickens sleep in one nest box. Sometimes they huddle up closely on a roost. I have running water in my house and even if I couldn't see any poop on an egg I would still wash it before using. There's only one way out for poop and eggs on a chicken. Might be some residual poop in there before they lay. I have 2 hens and 2 pullets. Pullets = less than a year old. Hen = 1 year old and up. MY BO and ISABrown lay early in the morning. I've been out there at 0600 and there are 2 eggs waiting for me. I don't cover up my nests.

 

[Bamas-Chicks]

,mine have 2 roosting boards but they are only 2 ft off the ground and the nesting boxes are about 6 inches higher,I guess that's why they prefer the nesting boxes. I can't raise the roosting boards because their flight feathers have been clipped. So I don't know what to do but let them sleep in boxes.

 

[Blooie]

Clipped wings don’t necessarily mean no flight at all. If they can get up to nesting boxes that are 6 inches higher than the roosts, I don’t think that’s the problem.

 

[Bamas-Chicks]

The nesting box has a ramp. I put the roost low enough they

Clipped wings don’t necessarily mean no flight at all. If they can get up to nesting boxes that are 6 inches higher than the roosts, I don’t think that’s the problem.

The nesting box has a ramp. I put the roost low enough so they can get on it but everyone keeps saying that because boxes are higher that's why they sleep in them instead of roost. I really don't mind them sleeping in boxes. I'm a high energy person and don't mind cleaning boxes every week. I only have 7 girls.

 

[aart]

but everyone keeps saying that because boxes are higher that's why they sleep in them instead of roost. I really don't mind them sleeping in boxes. I'm a high energy person and don't mind cleaning boxes every week.

It is why.

Once a week?! So poop on your eggs the other 6 days is OK?

Why not swap the nests and roosts?

 

[Bamas-Chicks]

I guess I have respectful girls because they really don't poop in the box much at all,but I clean it anyway. If your afraid of poop,you shouldn't have chickens in the first place.

 

[aart]

If your afraid of poop,you shouldn't have chickens in the first place.

 

[rosemarythyme]

,mine have 2 roosting boards but they are only 2 ft off the ground

If there's room maybe add a roost that's higher than the first? Maybe take out one of the 2' high ones to make space if you have to. They'll use the lower one to jump onto the higher one.

If your afraid of poop,you shouldn't have chickens in the first place.

Certainly not afraid of poop but I think most people would prefer eating clean eggs.

 

[aart]

Certainly not afraid of poop but I think most people would prefer eating clean eggs.

...and don't want to be cleaning it out of nests.
I clean the poop boards every day(I am not afraid), don't want to clean nests too.

 

[Bamas-Chicks]

I guess I could turn the one now sideways so it will be 4 inches wide instead of 2 and then put a higher 2x4 up with the 2 inch for them to roost upon