nesting boxes

[newchickenroost]

should i let my chickens sleep in their nesting boxes? if not, where can they sleep?

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Your chickens should never sleep in the nests as this encourages broodiness (sometimes) and discourages hens who want to lay their eggs. (Chickens do about 50% of their pooping at night and if they are sleeping in the nests then obviously it all goes in there. Would you want to lay in that kind of nest?!) So allow them to sleep on roosts as this is where they would normally sleep in the wild and position the nests away from the roosts.

 

[iwiw60]

should i let my chickens sleep in their nesting boxes? if not, where can they sleep?

Absolutely not. They shouldn't be allowed to sleep in them. Your hens need a roost for night time. Something like this, maybe?


To deter them from doing that, stuff your nesting boxes with empty egg cartons so they can't have access...best of luck!

 

[Hanna8]

If they sleep in their nest boxes, they will get poop in them, which gets very gross after a while. You don't want them laying their eggs in a pile of poo, I'm assuming, so a roost is the way to go.