You’re not supposed to sleep there!

[SirTravis]

Hello all!

I have four lovely girls. One of these girls believes it is her God given right to sleep in the egg box. Then of course she takes a nice poo before she leaves in the morning to join the others. I am fed up. We tried blocking the entrance every night for a week. It worked for two days then she went right back to it. Help! I’m tired of poopy eggs.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[sourland]

Try raising your perches and/or lowering the nest boxes.

 

[so lucky]

Could you just continue to block the nest every night? It could be that this girl is the low chick on the totem pole, and gets bullied off the roost. Could you put up another roost?

 

[Eggscaping]

Hello all!

I have four lovely girls. One of these girls believes it is her God given right to sleep in the egg box. Then of course she takes a nice poo before she leaves in the morning to join the others. I am fed up. We tried blocking the entrance every night for a week. It worked for two days then she went right back to it. Help! I’m tired of poopy eggs.

Thanks for any advice!

Can you post pictures of the roosts and the nest boxes? They usually want to sleep on the highest point. If the next boxes are higher than the roosts or if it's hard to get to the roosts, then they'll choose the next box.

 

[aart]

Can you post pictures of the roosts and the nest boxes?

Ditto Dat^^^
Wondering about age of birds too.

 

[SirTravis]

Can you post pictures of the roosts and the nest boxes? They usually want to sleep on the highest point. If the next boxes are higher than the roosts or if it's hard to get to the roosts, then they'll choose the next box.

The roosts are higher than the nest box. But perhaps I should build a little ladder to the roost bar(s)?

 

[Peppercorngal]

Chickens can jump and fly pretty high, so ladders are not necessary most of the time. I agree that the pecking order may be at play here. Can you add a nesting box that you do not block off? Block the others in the evening and leave the one. Once she gets used to the one being open she will begin to think of it as her "own". She should stay out of the others after a week or two with no other choice! Good Luck!