Pooping in the nest

[Billyj]

Just in the past few days, my hens have decided to roost on the edge of the nesting boxes. And of course, the wrong end is facing the nest. They only do this at night. During the day, if they want to snooze, they use the regular roosts. When I go first thing to check on them, I have to clean out the nesting boxes before the hens will lay. I have roosts higher than the nesting boxes that they used to use, but all of a sudden, they prefer the edge of the nesting boxes. How do I stop them from doing this and go back to the regular roosts. The funny thing is that there a been a couple of mornings, I have actually found my rooster hunkered down in one of the nests sleeping!!! They are not all that, just a little pine shaving, covered with straw.
Could I take a piece of panneling or something very thin like and put on the outside of the boxes? Being very thin, do you think that would do it? I don't mind the work, but when I have to leave to go to work at 6am, it is just not fun cleaning poop first thing in the morning in 30* weather.

 

[speckledhen]

Hi, Billy, I just started having that problem when there were molting birds in the dead of winter. Straw is sure warmer than sitting out on a roost! We had some of those rectangular, holey soffit panels, the plastic ones, and we just propped one in front of each nest overnight and removed them in the a.m. The bad thing is having to remove them in the morning early. The only way I know is to go out every night after dark and remove the offenders from the nests and place them on the roost. After several days, hopefully, they'll just go to roost. It's a hard habit to break them of, especially when there are younger or lesser in rank ones who get picked at on the roosts.

 

[MSBG]

My flock has always slept in the nesting boxes for some reason & I was constantly having to clean them out. I had a roosting post mounted higher than the nesting boxes but all 8 hens & 2 roo's would buddy up in the boxes. Then when winter came & I started leaving a light on in the chicken house for a little extra warmth they started using the roosting post, however, I turned the light off one night when it was warmer & went out to find them all hunkered down in the nesting boxes again. I turned on the light & after some socializing & poker playing on the floor

, they went back up to the roosting post. I don't have any idea what's up with that yet.

 

[gumpsgirl]

I've had the same problem and it started the same way that Cyn's did, when the birds were molting. I've done my best to try and break them of it, but I'm at my wits end and am going to have to start closing the boxes off at night and opening them back up early as Cyn suggested. Removing them just hasn't worked. I suppose after awhile, they will get the hint and I won't have to close the boxes off anymore. That's what I'm hoping for anyways!