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

[Sam Palmer]

I've had shredded newspaper in the Cube nestbox, on the recommendation of the Omlet man, since we got it in June. Apart from the odd nibble, they've ignored it - until last week. Now two of them have been pulling it through the vent in the bottom of the nestbox and eating it like there's no tomorrow and producing what look like papier mache poos.

I tried scrunching the paper up instead last night, but one laid on the roosting bars in protest and they've pulled whole sheets of paper through the vent today and been eating those.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to stop this?

Or do I need to change nestbox materials?

[Jools]

I'd change to something like aubiose tbh. Wet newspaper combined with wet mud and chicken's feet doesn't bear thinking about

[The Dogmother]

I use Aubiose, I dread to think what shredded up paper would do to their crops.

[Egluntyne]

Yes, I'd stop using paper straight away. Aubiose is fab.

[veggiemad]

i use eazibed(the same thing i think) but how to you stop it falling through the vent??

[Egluntyne]

I don't find that it does, all that much tbh.

[Sam Palmer]

Thanks for all the advice.

I was wondering how you'd stop Aubiose falling through the vent as well. I've only seen it packaged at the local equestrian shop, but it looks quite fine.

[debbietabby]

Hi,

Mine starting doing exactly the same thing! So they're on Aubiose now (and seem to have taken to sleeping in the nestbox - poop in the morning.

I have my eglu propped up on slabs to level it with the run (the garden slopes) so the hole in the nestbox is an inch or two above the ground. To deal with the aubioise falling out I have a small brick under the hole in the nest box - not jammed under it - just a few mm below it. The Aubioise falls out a bit but gradually fills up the space. Then I clean the whole lot out every week.

I did try blocking the hole up with newspaper but they ate that too!!!!

Debbie

[Falkor]

i use eazibed(the same thing i think) but how to you stop it falling through the vent??

 

Check out this thread...there are some pictures to show a very clever little homemade gadget

 

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45088&p=676081&hilit=+nestbox+gap+cube+nestbox#p676081

[Sam Palmer]

Well, I've just been out and bought a bale of Aubiose and put some in the nestbox. I still wasn't convinced, because of the size of the hole, so I placed it carefully around the vent (I'm sure it won't be like that for long!) and the little madams were pecking at it from below as well.

And then I came on here and found palmer07's post (good name!), with all those good ideas!

So I think I'll go out and put some tape there as a temporary measure and get the'Handyman' to make me a plastic cover for future use.

Thank you!

[jimnpaula]

i use eazibed(the same thing i think) but how to you stop it falling through the vent??

 

Check out this thread...there are some pictures to show a very clever little homemade gadget

 

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45088&p=676081&hilit=+nestbox+gap+cube+nestbox#p676081

 

I'm definitely making one of those! Thanks for that - I was coming to a similar solution myself and just considering various materials & methods.

 

P

[Sam Palmer]

So now they're eating the Aubiose.......

[The Dogmother]

It won't do them any harm, they'll soon stop once they've tried it.

[Redwing]

They like to try us dont they? I put foil round an indoor cage to keep the bedding in and my two chicks ate it, one of my sheep also picked up a screw (when I was mending some fencing in the field) and ate that what is the attraction with eating weird things?

[Sam Palmer]

I've made Claret's plastic vent cover thingy today and put it in, so it'll be interesting to see the state of play tomorrow morning.

Today they'd pushed out and eaten most of the Aubiose and laid the eggs on the roosting bars, cracking 2 in the process.

Fingers crossed things will get back to normal now!

[Woodcat]

one of my sheep also picked up a screw (when I was mending some fencing in the field) and ate that what is the attraction with eating weird things?

 

I wanted to murder one of my chooks for trying to eat a screw. She got it stuck in her beak sideways and i spent nearly 30 mins chasing her and the rest of my flock round trying to get it back. If the neighbours didn't think i was nuts before that they certainly did after that.