Nest boxes for sleep?

[biddyboo]

We have a very small coop for our 15 hens, but it seems to tidily fit their needs. It's elevated on 3' posts, it is about 6' X 4', is about 4 1/2 feet at its highest point, sloping to about 3' where the nest boxes project out. We have only one 5' roost, a 2 X 4, where some of the hens perch at night, while the others bed down in the pine bedding spread over the floor or pile in together cozily in the four nest boxes. I've had no problem with this arrangement because they seem content. I clean their coop daily, gathering the poops with some of the pine bedding and adding it to compost. Is this a bad habit for the hens, roosting at night in their nest boxes with the resulting poop, with daily cleaning? Their eggs always seem clean and the coop/boxes are not messy or smelly. Just need some reassurance here! ~G

 

[Casey3043]

6 x 4 seems small for 15 hens, but hey, if they seem content and there is no conflict, it's probably all right. You seem to keep it nice and clean and if the eggs are not dirty, it must be adequate for their needs.

One of my hens likes to sleep in the nest box and leaves it very messy. None of the others lays in there---maybe they don't like to lay in poop. They always choose one of the others. I have five boxes for 13 hens. Anyway, my nest boxes are only slightly lower than the roost, say two or three inches. I should have made them a lot lower. I can change it, but it would be a major construction project.

I'm thinking if they are lower, they won't roost in there.

Maybe, maybe not.

 

[JakRat]

Mine are silly, they now just sleep on the edge of their upstairs ramp... there eggs get crap on them sometimes and I cannot figure out why... but some just like sleeping in the nest... I have one that is like the baby sitter... she watches the eggs while the others run about...