Advice/opinions needed please on new coop's nesting box

[angelat]

hi all
i bought a new coop for my 2 hens and we put it up at the weekend. im pleased with it as there is more house space for them but the nesting box is not quite as big as there old houses nesting box. they have always slept in the nesting box instead of roosting so i want to make sure they have enough space to sleep in.

the trouble is unlike the old house, there is a wavy ridge that separates the nesting box from the living space, i have added pics. ive never seen this before?? in this ridge is slots that would fit the nesting box separater if i used it but they like to huddle together so i dont use mine. i cant take it out as it is attached to the back panel but i would like to try to cut it down to floor level and sand it so that there is no separation from house to box. they look comfortable both nights they have been in there and are snuggled together with their tails high and their chests resting on the wavy bits of the ridge?? has anyone else got this in their box and what is it for.
im not sure wether to take the saw to it (i have no patience!) or just leave it and hope my hens are comfy in there. any ideas, anyone. thanks in advance

[RichmondHens]

Well my guess is that the wavy bit stops the eggs rolling into the main part of the house.

Personally I would discourage sleeping in the nestbox unless you don't mind mucking it out each morning. I guess with only two hens it is not an arduous task. I would not want my lot doing it though and anybody who tries it on gets pushed out firmly at shutting up time. Be aware that wherever hens sleep is the first place red mite will appear, and eradicating them from nestboxes is a lot harder than treating a perch or two.

[jessmorris]

Ditto!
I would encourage them to perch, lazy girlies!

[angelat]

utterly spoilt rotten jess!! its not hard to clean out each morning with just the two and whatever my girlies want my girlies get, id put duvets in there for them if i thought they wanted them!!

[Scarlet]

It is natural for them to perch and they will get the hang of it if you place them on the perch after dark. As RH has said they are more vunerable to red mite if left to sleep in the nesting boxes.