Sleeping in the layer/nesting box!

[Jonny-Chicken]

My chickens also like to sleep and poop in their nest boxes. Like MamaTaney, I also used a chicken tractor for the first part of their lives (with no room for perch) so I think they got used to the idea of sleeping next to each other in a corner area. Like the others here, I just pick out the little poops every couple days and toss em on the floor with the rest...

I think I will try the idea of sneaking in on them at night to move them from the nest boxes to their perches... We'll see how that goes...

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Just a hint: I used a little blue keychain penlight when I was having to make nightly trips out to the coop to move the nest box sleepers. I once used a regular flashlight and they all jumped down from the roosts like it was daylight and they were ready to go out. It was a mess.
You have to be consistent about going out there every night, but even my most stubborn hen finally got the message.

 

[jaybme]

This has been an enlightening thread! My question is:

Are you all referring to most chickens or evil silkies?

My three silkies cram into the nest box sometimes, and sometimes they cram into a corner. They never roost! I put them on the roost once, and they stayed there, but why bother?

They are happy, and I don't really care, except the nest box is actually getting more poo-per-inch

than the rest of their home.

Would like to keep the eventual eggs clean, so I will try the covers as suggested- good idea! BUT silkies don't really roost do they? So if they are not inclined to do so, why would they pile into the nesting box ( dark corner and all).

Thanks!