ali-s Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Went to collect the eggs earlier on to find blood in the nesting box, all over the roosting bars and the inside of the Eglu. My first thought was one of the girls had a prolapse but on inspecting 8 bottoms found them to be clean and fluffy. Then Tallulah came trotting over to me and her head, comb and neck were blood stained She has been cleaned up and I can't find a wound. There were 4 sheets of thick kitchen roll in the nestbox and they were sodden. I have thrown the eggs away as they were bloody and I don't fancy using them I think there had been a fight maybe over who was using the nest box. I got five eggs today a first for this year. Tomorrow I am going to find or buy a shallow plastic bowl/ toddlers potty and put it at the back of the Eglu during the day as a second nestbox. Gave me a fright seeing all that blood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 What a shock! A little blood does go a long way. I hope all is well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Second nest box is ready for action. It is a large palstic dog bowl that I use for the girls winter porridge. I have put in a golf ball so hopefully the girls will know what it is for, and hopefully no more fighting when it is time to lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Hope they learn to use it quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HasSumAmi Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 How many on one nest box is too much? I've now have four girls and am wondering if the queue will be too much for them when they are finally put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 It must have been quite a shock to see the blood - hope it all settles down tomorrow. As said already a little blood goes a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 How many on one nest box is too much?I've now have four girls and am wondering if the queue will be too much for them when they are finally put together. Four's probably the limit for one nest box, although I've got 4 nestboxes between 5 laying chooks and they still queue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 How many on one nest box is too much?I've now have four girls and am wondering if the queue will be too much for them when they are finally put together. 4 birds per nest box is the recommended maximum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Tomorrow I am going to find or buy a shallow plastic bowl/ toddlers potty and put it at the back of the Eglu during the day as a second nestbox. Gave me a fright seeing all that blood Not surprised all that blood gave you a fright! I would have been horrified!!! Great idea about toddler potty. I will have to try this! I have currently got 5 nest boxes and they all use the same one They seem to really like sitting on the fake eggs in there. I have tried putting the fake eggs in a seperate nest box, but I come back and find them moved I guess it makes them happy! Hope your chooks are all OK? Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 They seem to really like sitting on the fake eggs in there. I have tried putting the fake eggs in a seperate nest box, but I come back and find them moved I guess it makes them happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted April 12, 2008 Author Share Posted April 12, 2008 The dog bowl nestbox is in the Eglu. I am not sure if it is going to be stable enough if a hen steps on the side of it. Another option is to put back the red Eglu (residing in the garage) and just open it up during in the day for egg laying. I removed the red Eglu as all the hens squashed into the green one, but that was before they came back into lay after their Winter break. Tallulah seems unconcerened about her attack and all the hens are getting on fine this morning. Tallulah's breast feathers are a dirty shade of pink. I don't think I would have noticed the blood on the others except Bubbles as their feathers are darker. My main suspect in the attack is Pepsi She is a gobby Pekin with attitude, the top hen and suffers with permanent PMT. Pepsi has been threatening broodiness for over a week. I wonder if Tallulah had been in the nestbox laying and Pepsi had got hold of her head and tried to pull her off the nestbox Fingers crossed for a peaceful day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 I removed the red Eglu as all the hens squashed into the green one, but that was before they came back into lay after their Winter break. I'm so glad I'm not the only one with too many hens in a eglu/cube!!! We went to the trouble of getting the second batch of hens a seperate house (wooden as cheaper), they have not even to my knowledge spent one night in it! Not even when there was a few days pecking when they first got together They will not even lay in there I had suspected that they may all end up sleeping together I just had not expected it to be this soon! I am surprised that there still seems to be plenty of room in the cube even with all 15 of them in there! They all seem to sit on top of each other and leave a huge space totally unused Each to there own I guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted April 12, 2008 Author Share Posted April 12, 2008 I used to go out at night and pull 4 hens from the eggport of one Eglu and post them into the other Eglu through the eggport. It made no difference at all, they prefered the green Eglu. Even swapping over the posistions of both Eglus made no difference they always chose the green one. I gave up in the end Only one egg today laid by Tallulah at 7pm in the Eglu nestbox, my dog bowl nestbox was rejected . All the hens were very quiet today even gobby Pepsi . Expecting more than one egg tomorrow so I wonder if the dog bowl will be used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Expecting more than one egg tomorrow so I wonder if the dog bowl will be used We had 10 eggs today, and as usual all laid in the same nest box! I went in there last week some time and found one sat on top of the other in the cube nest box Well I ask you, where pray is the sense in that? There is room for three chickens in their and lo they are sitting on each other Bless their little cottons! Interested to know if your dog bowl works out - I will be trying this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
