Sleeping in nest box

[Chooker21]

My GL Wyandotte, who I think is getting close to laying (wattle is growing and getting red) has started to sleep in the nest box. Should I discourage this?

 

[mickey328]

We did. When they sleep in them, they poop in them, and then the eggs are icky We put a sort of flap door over the nest boxes and close it mid-afternoon after the laying is done for the day. Then we open it again in the morning when we open the coop.

 

[Chooker21]

Thanks I'll try that. I did have the nest boxes covered up til recently to discourage this but now I'm keeping them open in case they start laying, but I can cover them again at dusk when I go out to lock the girls in for the night.

 

[mickey328]

During the day, ours generally only go in the coop to lay, so we just leave them open. But of the 6 we have only 2 or 3 actually roost, the others sleep on the floor (or the nest box if we let 'em). It's amazing how much cleaner they stay now! LOL If she's approaching laying, you might want to put a golf ball or fake egg in the box so she'll get the idea.