Nesting box size / Hens snuggling in nesting box at night..

[Fuzzbutt28]

I have 3 hens about 20 weeks old.One started laying on the 4th of July...She lays her eggs in the nesting box. At night all the hens snuggle together in the nesting box.How do I get them to NOT go in the nesting box at night to sleep? Should I make the nesting box smaller? It is currently about 15 inches square..I was thinking of making it smaller to 12 inches square...They have a pole to perch on and do during the day but they sleep on the floor at night...My coop is 4ft x 4ft ..

 

[GitaBooks]

My hens love to sleep in nest boxes, especially during the winter. However, I certainly understand why most people don't like this, as it leads to a lot of dirty eggs. Gross.

First, try blocking up the nests at night and removing the panels early in the morning to allow for laying. You could try making the boxes smaller as well. Provide a flat board up above for perching, as I find my chickens love boards as well as the typical more rounded perch to sit on. They also like roosting up high. Make sure they have more than one nest box (two if you only have three hens), just so that if one is used to sleep in, the other remains open for laying.

I hope this helps. Best of luck!

 

[azygous]

It sounds as if you've been lenient about teaching your pullets to roost. Most will learn on their own eventually, since it's a natural instinct. But you can hasten the process. It just takes a bit of time and effort.

First you need to block the nest boxes at night. As long as you're outside doing that, go ahead and place the pullets on the perch close together, touching each other. This gives them some of the comfort and reassurance they derived from sleeping in a pile in the nest. They may hop back down, but keep repeating, placing your hand gently on their backs until they quiet down. Making a shh-shhing sound also calms them.

Uncover the nests first thing in the morning so they will be available for exploration by the almost-layers and clean and open for any who will be laying during the day. Cover again at night and place the pullets on their perch.

You should only have to go through this routine four nights at the most before the pullets are roosting on their own. But continue to cover the nests at night for a full week so they don't relapse while the roosting habit becomes entrenched.