Sleeping in the nest boxes?

[Justanother Brooke]

We just recently got 5 chickens, our first. Anyhow, I have noticed that the first night we had them, they all slept on the floor of the coop, and since then they are all cramming together in the nest boxes. Is this something I should discourage? They look so sweet and cozy in there, plus we can open it up from the outside and my daughter can pet all "her" chickens goodnight. I've only seen one of them use the roost, is it maybe because they are pretty young?

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Perhaps it is a design flaw? Chickens like to roost at the highest comfortable point and they do not like cold winds on them as they sleep.

I had a problem with my roost placement and the whole flock slept in the nest box that night. Corrected it the next day!

When I first got my flock I had to put one on the roost because she could not figure out how to use the chicken ladder at first. She could not jump high enough to make it without the ladder.

 

[Justanother Brooke]

Well, tonight I went and checked on them, and 3 of the 5 are now on the roost, and 2 are still hanging out in the nest boxes. Weird chickens!

 

[fshinggrl]

Sounds like they are just getting used to their surroundings. Once I moved my nest boxes down, my hens behaved themselves.. most of the time.