Why is she sleeping in the nest boxes?

[M To The Maxx]

She has been sleeping in the nest boxes for the last 2 months now.
Angel is a RIR. I of course push her out at night. I have 2 golf balls in each nest box and she sleeps in a different egg box every night.
What is she doing this for?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Our hens were doing the same thing so we lowered the nest boxes and added more roosts. That solved the problem for us.

 

[M To The Maxx]

Quote:
It could be very hard for us to do that for our coop. Any other suggestions?

 

[patman75]

block the nest boxes at night, raise the roosts, widen the roosts - use 2X4 or 2X6. Sounds like they need to be trained

 

[fshinggrl]

Yep, mine would roost in the nest boxes until I redesigned the coop by putting the nesting boxes low and added another roost. Now they do not roost in the nest boxes. GOod luck.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

It is a bad thing to block the nest boxes.

Let your hen be. As long as she is not laying a clutch and going broody it will be OK.

I put some of my nesting boxes very near the floor and the hens ONLY used them for laying.

If you can DO the same for awhile. Some hens just really like the boxes to sleep in and she may be having a bit of a problem roosting.

 

[tomato lady]

I have one that likes to sleep in a nest box too. She sleeps in the same box every night while the other 30 chickens roost on the roosts and on top of the nest boxes. I think she looks cute in there so I just poop scoop the nest box every morning and let her be.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Just keep a bag of loose grass hay in the barn.

Every so often exchange the nest box and throw the old hay away.

DO NOT let her poop in there and then not clean it. Flies WILL lay their eggs and fly larvae WILL hatch.

Really for her comfort it takes just a bit of effort on your part.

I have had hens go through this process and now they are roosting with the other chickens.

NOW, if you EVER find a Guinea in your nest box TELL US !!

 

[emariep]

So, the roosts should be high and the nestboxes low? I have that set up and my hens (10 weeks old) sleep in the boxes on the floor of the coop, all 12 of them in one box together. Hmm. Maybe I'll try taking the boxes away for awhile.

 

[BigPeep]

I took the nest boxes out of the coop before transfering in a new set of young birds so they don't get used to roosting there. My previous set all sit in the nest boxes at night. Anyone have any experience if this works?