HPhens Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 Hello, I’m new to keeping hens and have 3 in a second hand mk2 Cube. They don’t use the roosting bars at all and all sleep in the nest box. Is this ok? Is there anything I should do to encourage them to use the roosting bars? Seems to be such a waste of a big hen house! Thank you 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisonFamily Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 They will sleep wherever they like - I used to try blocking off the entrance to the nesting box in the evening with a space hopper that fitted the gap but I gave up and sometimes they sleep in there, sometimes on the roosting bars but most the time outside on a branch in the WIR - so now I have a lovely cube that is used once a day to lay an egg !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Over the last winter, I did let my 2 Pekins sleep in the egg box because I thought they would be warmer in there and they weren't laying any eggs anyway. Now I have 5 Pekins and one was being chased at bedtime and has been hiding in the egg box. I have put a tub trug in the space now because I didn't like her being on her own. I put the trug in there just before they go to bed and take it out once it has got dark, so the space is ready for anyone that wants to lay an early egg. Stopping them sleeping in there does mean you get cleaner eggs and the girls also have cleaner feet because they are not walking in the poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
