Partially broody?

[aart]

Ahhhh I didn’t realize my flashlight would ruin it. It’s well away from the house so it’s pitch black over there but I’ll try dimming my phone light to see if that works. And when it stops raining I’ll install a flip thing like on the other post. Looks simple to put in and I have hinges somewhere in the garage

I use a headlight set on dim, and make sure I don't point it where it lights up a path for them. I usually keep it pointed up, then tilt my head down if I need to see better.

That’s one thing in the reply on the other post that’s bugging me. Before the nesting boxes were always sooo clean they never pooped in there no specks of poop on my eggs. The last few days I’m having to wash the poop off and clean the boxes everyday to try and keep the poop out of there

That's the main reason not to let them sleep in the nests. Some folks don't seem to mind cleaning nests, or would rather do that then finagle the birds to sleep on the roosts, but I hate it.

 

[Sarah Leighty]

How’s it going with getting your girl back on the perch? I also have a hen sleeping alone in a nesting box, pooping it up. That’s no good but I’m more worried about the cold here in WA. She used to roost with the others. Now it seems she is maybe getting bullied off the perch. Weird in summer that they all fit fine so I don’t think it’s the perch. What can I do if she’s getting bullied off? Will she be ok sleeping alone at steady temps in the 20s?

 

[Latestarter]

I've had a few girls that just loved sleeping in nest boxes. Most of the times it was because they were the lowest of the pecking order or there was something wrong with them/they weren't well. I would go out there late at night with no light but natural moonlight and take them out, put them on the roost, and they would still jump off and find their way back to the nest box. If you don't mind them staying there and are worried about cold, add a little extra bedding material in there for the bird to snuggle down into. At 20°f she'll be fine by herself. My nest box dwellers survived to 15 below zero overnight.