Poopy box!!!

[ChickenMomma91]

Ok so I bought an EE this summer and she's doing good, her feathers have grown back from the roosters at her previous home and she's a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to my two other girls. She is so scared of them that she refuses to roost on the bars (we have two long bars) the big girls roost on the top bar and she decided that she'd rather sleep in the nest box! The big girls are molting so I'm not getting eggs right now anyways but it's a habit I need to break her if before my girls start laying again. Heck she's only laid once since we got her! We currently have a tarp stapled on to the box to keep her out of it but it's starting to collect poo and her feet are getting rather yucky. So idk what else to do to get her to use the roost bars. And no the nest box can't be removed

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Ok so I bought an EE this summer and she's doing good, her feathers have grown back from the roosters at her previous home and she's a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to my two other girls. She is so scared of them that she refuses to roost on the bars (we have two long bars) the big girls roost on the top bar and she decided that she'd rather sleep in the nest box! The big girls are molting so I'm not getting eggs right now anyways but it's a habit I need to break her if before my girls start laying again. Heck she's only laid once since we got her! We currently have a tarp stapled on to the box to keep her out of it but it's starting to collect poo and her feet are getting rather yucky. So idk what else to do to get her to use the roost bars. And no the nest box can't be removed

what height is your roosting pole?

how high are the nest boxes?
where is she sleeping now that you stapled the tarp over the boxes?
Can you use cardboard on the front of the boxes?

 

[5acresandadream]

My hens started doing this too. I went out every night after sundown and opened the near box and gave them a push right out if it. After 3-4 days they stopped sleeping in there lol

 

[aart]

Quote: Good Q's from Sally^^^

Pics of setup would help us offer specific solutions.
Blocking any other place to roost except where you want her too is needed.

 

[chickens really]

The size of your set up....
How you introduced?
How many Birds ???

Stress plays a huge part in egg production.....If she is being Bullied by other Hens? She will hide to protect herself.....Sleeping in the nest Box might be her only safe place?

Try removing her into a look no touch pen....Metal dog crates are great.....Or REMOVE the Bully for a week or so...? Same concept.....


Cheers!

 

[ChickenMomma91]

With colder weather coming I can't really separate them. My coop is approximately 6 feet long and about 5 feet wide. It's about 5 foot tall from the ground up. I'll try to get pics tomorrow. She hops on the tarp by the looks of it. Her feet are covered in poo when I check on them. I try to clean it off but I am only so so much without ripping the tarp up and spraying it off and I wouldn't say she's bullied, she runs even if they aren't coming at her. They can be mosing along eating scratch and once they get a certain distance off she goes like Wiley coyote has a rocket. She was introduced by having the tractor next to the coop for a couple days and then we put her on the roost bar while everyone slept