roosting in the nesting box

[hitnspit]

How do i stop it.....ugh.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It kind of depends on what's causing it.

Are your roosts higher than the nest boxes? Most chickens like to roost on the highest thing they can get too. Not always all of them, but most go for high places. If the roost is not higher than the nest box, they may decide to roost in the nest box instead.

Is she just one hen? Is she broody?

How old are they? Young chicks don't start out roosting. They stay on the coop floor usually in a group until they are ready to roost. That can be anywhere from 5 weeks old until 25 weeks old. They may decide a nest box looks like a good place to roost if they are not ready to balance all night on the roosts. I've had them spend a couple of nights in the nest box while they are moving from the floor to the roosts.

If some are roosting and some are staying in the nest box, it is possible that the more dominant ones are being real brutes on the roosts. That happens sometimes when I have yooung chicks that are at the bottom of the pecking order. To keep from being beat up, they look for a safer place to spend the night.

I just don't have enough information to give you any good suggestions. Sorry.

 

[Cats Critters]

Quote:
If they aren't laying at all, block them off until they are almost ready to lay or if they are laying try to block them off at night. Also are your roosts lower then the nests? If at all possible the roosts should be higher.

 

[stcroixusvi]

I have one that uses the nesting boxes. She had a prolapsed vent and spent 2 weeks away from the flock. When she came back, she had a hard time adjusting even though we put her in at night, and placed her up on the roost. At this point, because her life has been so rough already, i just clean up after her every morning and let her be.

 

[ErikaSmit]

I have varying ages and the younger ones that haven't started laying yet sleep in there and sometimes stay in there too long that the chickens that do lay are doing it else where! How frustrating....

 

[Mattemma]

I had both my RSL hens roosting in the domed boda cat litter box. They always sat away from the roo and 5 ee hens. Now I just have the one rsl hen,and I too just clean up after her in the am. When it was both of them I would just turn the lid around,and put them on the roost bar.