sleeping in nestbox

[flynnoflynn]

In our old house the 3 hens would all sleep in the nest box as it was higher than the perch! When I introduced them to there new house they all went and perched straight away, it's been 2 months now and a couple of weeks ago we found our light Sussex (1yr old) sleeping in the nest box, she was turfed out on to here perch as it was still dusk. She didn't do it again for a week then did it a gain 2 nights in a row and got move on both times. I've put boxes in the nest box for a week then after that left them out. 2 nights later she went back to sleep in the nest box, how long should I keep putting boxes in for before the stop sleeping in the nest boxes!

 

[dinosaw]

You know I had this happen on and off with different hens at different times and I could never properly work out why it happened. Sometimes it was obvious like when one of the Pekins was being bullied in the house, she got pecked on the perches so used to slink into the nest box and another time one of my Goldlines hurt her leg and didn't want to perch but at other times a you got a bird who had always perched deciding it was time to start sleeping in the nest box and what I found was that blocking the nest box at night led to eggs in the main house in the morning so I just used to move them gently every night with a shove on the bum till they stopped doing it, it took months with one hen, just a few days with another so I suppose you will just have to play it by ear.

 

[Marigold]

If she's a year-old Sussex, at this time of year her hormones may be shifting in the direction of going broody. My Sussex develops a fondness for the nestbox at night before she tries it in during the day as well. So keep shifting her as you are doing, and have your 'sin bin' ready, so you can start treating her as soon as possible once she shows signs of daytime broodiness.