Chicken bald back

[edharvey17]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can help me on a small issue - one of our beautiful girls has decided that she likes sleeping on the shredded paper we put in the egg laying area of our Eglu but also decides that it is a good idea to poo in there too!

So I get them out in the morning only to find poo and eggs in the laying area and have to clean them out and change the paper quite a lot.

 

Has anyone else come across this and if so how do you stop them either sleeping there and perching instead, or stop them pooing in there???

 

We changed from the wooden bars to plastic ones several months ago but not sure if she prefers the laying area to perching bars for some reason?

 

Thanks!

 

Ed

[westleigh]

Hi i hear thet others put plant pots in it at night,i have the same problem as you in my cube but i change the bedding and wash the eggs bit of a pain but the oldies love sleeping in the nest part hope this helps a little

[Ecky]

Hi,

it looks like this is a common problem (looking at many posts) and I have exactly the same problem. I've just been out to close the cube and checked through the egg hatch, there they were, all 3 happily asleep in the nest box. Quite cute, but impractical. As you have found out yourself, they will poo into it. So tonight I've taken the advice of removing them from the nest box and blocking it off. The were not too happy and complained when I've moved them to the roosting bars, but I have to be tough (as if, ask the dogs/cats ). I then blocked the hole off completely, not just put a flower plant in the nest box. I've read somewhere here that you might find them roosting on the pot then .

I think mine are not used to roosting on bars, they were kept on a flat floor with bedding before they've moved in with us, so they will have to learn it first.

Good luck with your quest. I hope mine will learn and I am hard enough .

[AJuff]

It really irritates me that two of my chooks regularly sleep in the nest box as I hate dirty eggs. I turf them out when I put them to bed. I'd like to block off the nest box but I don't get up early enough for the early egg layers!!

[debsea]

I have six that squeeze into the nesting bit of the cube. I have left them during the cold spell but am trying now to block it off and discourage them. trouble is you have to get there before they do in the evening and i'm not always homefrom work in time!

[tidygirlsuk]

At what age do chooks start sleeping on perches (i have wooden house with raised perches). My 3 girls are about 13 weeks old. They only go on them in the morning to look out window to see what i'm doing.

 

Claire

arrived 14/02/09

[Ecky]

I have six that squeeze into the nesting bit of the cube. I have left them during the cold spell but am trying now to block it off and discourage them. trouble is you have to get there before they do in the evening and i'm not always homefrom work in time!

I open the egg hatch and lift them trough the opening back into the roosting area, then block the area off. Works fine and I only got a few moaning croaks from them. Only done it once so far.

This morning poo collection from the trays was a revelation, I didn't realise they do so much poo over night, in particularly as they don't seem to eat a lot.

[..lay a little egg for me]

Our girls were very well behaved for the first 8 months we had them and slept where they were supposed to. Then one took a liking for the nesting box and despite being turfed out every night or having the nesting box blocked off for 2 months, is still doing it. I have now given up the battle, because, like debsea says you have to get there before them and block off the box and then get up in time to remove it before the early egg laying...and I suspect that even when she is turfed off, she returns after I've gone

[cliveb]

Both of mine sleep in the nesting area, they always have. I thought it was the normal thing to do, thay look so cute snuggled in together, I wouldnt want to disturb them.

[Old Speckled Hen]

On or two of mine sleep in the nest box but they are usually off out into the garden in the morning before they lay.

The odd egg has been laid before they get out but the chooks look too comfortable to turf out and I don't mind a dirty egg.

I have a wooden coop with a perch some 4 inches off the floor and I do get the occasional egg laid there which gets dented at one end.

I got hubby to cut a hole and add another nestbox which is sometimes used to lay in an emergency.

[edharvey17]

wow thanks for all the replies! Seems like this is a common thing and yes I do tend to agree they look very cute and comfortable when sleeping ini the nest box. I guess my only concern was them lying in their own poo and picking up a disease or something but we clean the eglu out regularly so should be fine!

[Phoebe]

you might find if you put wood shavings in the nestbox instead of paper, that helps the hens to keep it cleaner. Its more absorbent and the hens can bury the poo more effectively. Mine keep their nest box lovely on top, but if you dig down, they have clearly hidden all the nasties !

[Ecky]

Mine keep their nest box lovely on top, but if you dig down, they have clearly hidden all the nasties !

Mine do exactly the same. Reminds me of teenager .....

Anybody succeeded in retraining them to sleep in the roosting area by blocking the nesting box off, or do I waste my time?