She has decided the best box is best

[hlhutchinson]

Chicky who has not layed and egg yet but showing all the signs that she should soon, has decided she now wants to sleep in the nesting box. (Roost is higher then box, we have 4ft of roost and 4 chickens however they all roost on one half of it)
One night she was in the box playing around and pecking at the golf balls then the next morning there was poop in the box so I assumed that she slept there.
Next night she was on the roost. But I have now had 2 nights I have had to kick her out if the nest box.
Iv seen her in the box during the day playing around for short periods of time.
Ugg she need to understand the box is for laying eggs not sleeping. And when I have kicked her out she's sitting in the golf balls
Can a chicken go broody before laying g eggs? I don't think she's broody because she not in the box during the day just wondering if its possible

 

[N F C]

In the past I had a couple of girls that liked sleeping in the nesting box. After watching them, I figured out it was because they were being a bit bullied when it was roosting time.

Maybe it wasn't the right way to handle it, but I figured I'd rather have them sleep in the box than end up being bullied, so I let them be.

If you don't want Chicky to sleep in the nesting boxes, maybe you could block them off at night and just re-open them in the morning.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Yup, you can block off the nest box at night, open in the mornings. I stopped using a "fake" egg unless they lay other than the nest box. They seem to know where to go, I used fake eggs with the Wynadottes I had, it made them go broody. Got BOs this time, kept the nest box blocked off until they gave me the "signs" then opened it up in the mornings, close at night. Didn't put any fake egg in, they knew where to go

 

[lazy gardener]

I would continue to place her on the roost at night, and block the nest boxes at night. It's a hard nasty habit to break.

 

[hlhutchinson]

Thank you everyone I think I will keep kicking her out at night and block the neasting box at night. I don’t think she’s being bullied tell the truth I have no idea who is the queen of the group they allways change positions on the roost at night and they hardly every peck at one another, maybe at roosting time they are picking on her. When I place her on the roost next to the others they leave her alone. Unless they are playing sweet and innocent for me and when I leave they show their true colors
As for taking the golf balls out Chicky is the only one who is not laying but I’m assuming she knows where she should lay considering she likes to play in the box and sometimes accompanys the other girls while they lay. I have had one chicken go broody so I think I will take the golf balls out. And let the eggs fall where they will

 

[N F C]

"...let the eggs fall where they will..."

I like that!