[Lucy Lu]

Hi all. I'm very new to this - have only had my (4) girls for 4 weeks now, so would appreciate some advice. They are pooing in one half of the nest box- is that normal? I think they are also sleeping in the nest box which I wasn't expecting. What should I do or is it OK to leave it like this?

Thanks in advance!

[joyfull]

they may need educating to get them to perch. After they have gone to bed open the coop and place them on their perches. You may need to do this every night for a few weeks, they will get the message 

[joyfull]

forgot to say welcome, why not pop into the welcome section and introduce yourself to the rest of the members 

[daisy1990]

my three girls do this too and always sleep in the nest box.  They have now started to knock their perches off the runners and even out of the coop altogether.  As they are so determined I now leave them to it!

[Fisherman]

Hi Lucy Lu and welcome to the site.
Try blocking off their nest boxes late in the day so they can't get in them to sleep and then open them up after dark or first thing in the morning. If they don't roost on the perch try lifting them on for a few days and they should soon get the idea (they are easy to handle when they are sleepy). Having said that I have one hen that always sleeps in the nest box unless I evict it. Its the most mischievous one of the bunch and I think it does it to wind me up

Use a cardboard box in each nest box or a temporary board across the front to stop them getting in.

Hope that helps.

[Haychee]

mine poo in their nest boxes too .....   I have asked them nicely not to,  but they are naughty little girls and keep on doing it!   

[grenhouse]

After a month or two of going out every night, blocking off the nest box and putting them on their perch i then resigned to the fact that thats where they want to sleep, and if I get a pooey egg then ....... I wash it!

steve

[Knight Family]

Only our bats do that, but I give them time to get stronger and happier. Plus its hard to put themonthe roost bars since the other girls use the roost bar by the door!!

[pigeonpie]

Despite constant night time wanderings to lift them out of nest boxes and on to perches I continue to have a few who sleep in the nest boxes each night.
I just pick out any pooh first thing in the morning when I let them out to try to keep the eggs clean.

[alisonwo]

I managed to stop mine from doing it by blocking off the nest boxes for a few days with some hardboard, they tried kicking it down, but I won in the end lol.

[jamima]

Mine do too seems to be a common theme 

[kellym]

my 2 little girls sleep and poop in thier nest boxes too, i figure that if they are happy then im happy  . it doesnt take much to clean thier poop up every morning.

[TeaPots]

It really IS a good thing to teach them to perch, for all that it is a nuisance.

1. On a perch, they are NOT sat in poop on the floor. It is healthier altogether.
2. keeping undercarriage cooler reduces unwanted broodiness
3. Its natural
4. keeps nestboxes and therefore eggs, clean (better health issues)


I lay several offcut bars of wood on the floor of brooders, as the chix learn to perch by a few weeks old, I also close off the nesting boxes in the coops, until my babies reach POL, then I open the nestboxes in daytime only.

If I buy in POL or laying hens, its like FM says. It really IS worth it, its much healthier for the choox.