Old habits are hard to change,

especially when you are a chicken. This picture may not seem remarkable, until you realize that Merry got into this part of the chicken coop...

...through this tiny hole. Daisy, (the larger white chicken) made it through that same hole the following evening.
So why are we so cruel to block off the ONE spot in the chicken coop that all of the chickens are so anxiously trying to get into? Both ends of the coop are set up so they can be nesting boxes. We blocked the nesting box on one end, because from what we've read, it's best if the chickens don't have access to it until they are ready to lay.

When I blocked off the nesting box, I didn't take into consideration that the one we would want them to use for eggs would be best if it was on the side closest to the house, and didn't require walking around to the other side--especially in the winter. That was a month ago when we first moved them outside. A few days ago, I made the switch. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal to open the side I had blocked off, and change it to the other end. Same square footage, right? The chickens respectfully disagree. There is something inherently better about the spot (identical to the one on the other side that is now accessible) that I just blocked off. Every night when they go into the coop, it's a game to see if they can get into the other side. We've filled it up with other stuff so they can't get in, so they all pile up against the board so they can at least be closest to their favorite spot. Crazy birds!