My hens won't stop pooping in their nesting boxes!

[JJSS89]

Yeah, a couple length of dimensional lumber which are already prepped like your typical 2x3 or 2x4 are good. I prefer using larger tree limbs that are 2-3" across. Some people argue that larger chickens need a flat roost. Go with what works

 

[pdirt]

You've received some very good advice.

Your chickens are sleeping in the nest boxes because they have no roost. Chickens do a major portion of their pooping at night. As to why they are kicking out the nest material...my best guess is they are looking for a firmer roost-type surface to rest their feet on. It also sounds like your coop just has no floor space for them at all and the only place for them to be might be the nest boxes. Do they have a run in addition to the coop? Or are they kept in the coop 24/7? If they don't have a run, they need that as well, I'd consider it inhumane to not have a run. I agree, I'd build a new coop asap, or at least try to expand the one you already have.

 

[henmania]

My hens also seem to be sleeping in their nest box or at least one of them is. My coop is basically a big box house and a smaller section attached for their nesting box. I'm also the nesting box is bedded with a lot of stray and the sleeping box on wood shavings. They seem to poop all over the place in there.
I don't have a roost as well as it's a small coop not sure how I'd add one.

Also someone mentioned placing a dummy egg there and that might tell them that **** is laying area not pooping area but another person said that might make them go broody.

 

[henmania]

My hens also seem to be sleeping in their nest box or at least one of them is. My coop is basically a big box house and a smaller section attached for their nesting box. I'm also the nesting box is bedded with a lot of stray and the sleeping box on wood shavings. They seem to poop all over the place in there.
I don't have a roost as well as it's a small coop not sure how I'd add one.

Also someone mentioned placing a dummy egg there and that might tell them that **** is laying area not pooping area but another person said that might make them go broody.

Update: here are some pics of the coop. I also managed to add a piece of wood I had laying around as a roost. Not too high though.

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[Beekissed]

That won't solve your problem. As pdirt stated, you need much, much, much more room and your roosts need to be higher than the nest boxes before they will stop sleeping in the nests. Don't know how many birds you have living there but if it's more than half a bird, it's not enough room.

 

[henmania]

That won't solve your problem.  As pdirt stated, you need much, much, much more room and your roosts need to be higher than the nest boxes before they will stop sleeping in the nests.   Don't know how many birds you have living there but if it's more than half a bird, it's not enough room. 

Darn lol. I only have 2 hens. I was thinking of closing of the nesting box for a while as someone mentioned above until they're used to it then open it up again.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't know if you've ever seen a real chicken coop, but you might take a glance or two at the coops shown here and read about the features: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/596294/post-your-chicken-coop-pictures-here

It may give you an idea of what kind of living quarters chickens prefer, how much space is desirable, how to construct nest boxes and roosts, etc. The chickens kick out the bedding in your nest boxes because they don't have a lip on them to help contain the bedding.

They also prefer to sleep off the floor, up on perches or roosts and as high as they can possibly be...this helps them feel secure from predators. They spend a lot of time indoors in the winter months, so they need a lot of room to move around and they need air and light while they do so....your box doesn't provide any of that, so if you want happy and healthy chickens, you'll need some serious changes going on.

Happy chickens lay better.

 

[henmania]

I don't know if you've ever seen a real chicken coop, but you might take a glance or two at the coops shown here and read about the features:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/596294/post-your-chicken-coop-pictures-here

It may give you an idea of what kind of living quarters chickens prefer, how much space is desirable, how to construct nest boxes and roosts, etc.   The chickens kick out the bedding in your nest boxes because they don't have a lip on them to help contain the bedding. 

They also prefer to sleep off the floor, up on perches or roosts and as high as they can possibly be...this helps them feel secure from predators.  They spend a lot of time indoors in the winter months, so they need a lot of room to move around and they need air and light while they do so....your box doesn't provide any of that, so if you want happy and healthy chickens, you'll need some serious changes going on. 

Happy chickens lay better.   

Wow some of these coops are bigger and neater than my bedroom lool. Hopefully I'm due time (and when weather is better) I'll build them a better coop and pen.

Just checked on them and they seem to have got the message after a little confusion when they saw something new in their coop haha.

 

[rawheid]

We're having this problem too. I have plenty of roost bars that are higher than nest boxes. No one wants the lower bars though. They all try and roost on the top two bars. Tonight I dumped out 8-10 birds out of 3 nest boxes and took the nesting tubs away. It seems to be all the juvenile birds (hatched in May and June of this year), primarily the young roosters. If we get rid of the roosters will they stop?

 

[brenda56]

I have roost bars and have this problem too thyve started pooping in nest boxes too ill block them off on a night hopefully itll work