4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[mand and family]

Hi everyone,

 

Can anyone give me some advice for my confused chickens?

 

The problem is that they like to sleep in the nesting box and it gets very dirty very quickly.I'm also worried about damaged dirty eggs and the health of their legs. You hear about battery hens getting hock burn from living in their own poo for so long.

 

The girls aren't laying yet and they have an extension on their run(it's a cube and I have six chickens).

 

Can anyone help

[Ziggy]

Mine always seem to prefer being in the nesting box rather than on the roosting trays.... I just make sure we clear the poos up very regularly...

 

I think some people here have put upside down flower pots in the nesting area at night, to stop the chooks settling there...

[BeckyBoo]

Hi Mand, we tried the flower pot and the football in the nest and it never stopped them cramming in there. I just end up picking out any big bits of poo daily We have bedding in the nest so it's not too hard, either aubiose, hemcore or flax depending on what we can get hold of. We only get occasionally dirty eggs and you don't need to worry about hock burn - they have to literally LIVE in their own poo for that. I mean walking in it, sitting in it, never being cleaned out etc so unless you are a really BAD chicken mum it's very unlikely to happen.

 

 

Mrs Bertie

[Carol U]

Don't worry about it - they'll be fine. I keep an old pair of rubber gloves handy and pick the poo our of the nestbox each morning and top it up with fresh straw. It only takes a minute. If the odd egg gets a bit dirty, just wipe it with some damp kitchen roll.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Mine used to sleep in the nesting box so I kept a small plastic scoop attached to the run with a bulldog clip to flick the poos through the roosting bars.

 

They hardly ever sleep there any more but now I put a brick in the nestbox overnight to stop Molly. who's showing signs of broodiness, sleeping there .

 

Don't worry about hock burn, as Mrs Bertie says. Eglu/cube hens would never suffer from that .

[mand and family]

Thanks everyone!

 

It's put my mind at rest.I may try the flower pot though, because I think the straw is getting wet from them as well.It may deter them a little.

[mayflower]

Not to worry. They are not in the nest box long enough to pick up infections. Besides, as long as you do'nt mind changing the bedding in the nest box every day.....which I do all will be ok. I think ex bats seem to love the comfort of the nest box, also I think they like having the choice, being so long without both comfort and choosing what to do. Bless 'em !