roosting in nesting boxes

[Bare bottom farm]

My new girls are roosting in the nesting boxes and pooing all over them

I don't no what to do to keep them off or out of them at night... I hate

poo eggs...
Dose anyone have any good ideals to stop this??? Thank you!

 

[ghillie]

I have boxes that fit snuggly into the nest boxes. When they decide to roost in the nests, I put the boxes in just before dusk for a couple of days.

 

[azygous]

Recently I had the same problem with two of my Brahmas. They both decided they wanted to sleep in the nest boxes instead of perching on the roost. So I got some small scraps of chicken wire and put them in the nests just before everyone went in to roost for the night.

I had to experiment as to how the wire would achieve the best effect, and it finally repelled the retiring hens as long as the pointy edges of the wire were standing upright. When I laid the wire flat, they were content to settle down on top of it.

I would then go back out after about and hour when everyone was situated on the perch and remove the wire so that the early morning egg layers would find an accommodating nest.

This went on for about a week and they were reconditioned to roosting on the perch again.

Anything blocking access to the nest would work. The idea is to keep them out of the nest until they re-establish their good habits.

 

[Bare bottom farm]

oh Thank you all!! I will try it and see what happens. I don't think I have enough perchs. but I don't no where I can put more.

 

[alpinefarm]

Quote:
Some of mine liked to perch right on egde of the nest boxes, not in them, but still, the effect was the same. I placed a board above where they were perching, to make it uncomfortable for them to hang out there but still let them get into the box to lay, which worked.

You just have to start thinking like a chicken!

 

[Katy]

Is your roost higher than the nest boxes? They like to roost on the highest place.

 

[PolarBear]

I had some that did this and I would wait until everyone had roosted, then go out and move them to the perch. After about 3 nights of doing this they finally caught on and stopped roosting in the nesting boxes.

 

[cobrien]

I had that problem, put some empty 1 gallon pots from some store bought potted plants in the nesting boxes, now no more more poopy nesting boxes!

 

[Bare bottom farm]

I put stuff in the nesting boxes to block the poopers.. I wll see how things are in he am.....

Thank you all so much for the help....

 

[chicken5]

Glad I saw this post

I have had the same problem for a couple months now. Just thought that was how it was going to be. Me cleaning poopy eggs every day..I will definitely try blocking the nesting boxes tonight