Poorly chicken

[ails]

I know this topic has been posted before but I can't track it down unfortunately.

 

Our hens appear to have decided that they will either sleep in the nest box or sometimes perch overnight with their bottom hanging into the nest box, either way we have a daily pile of poo in the nest box.

 

What can I do to try and stop this happening? I tried putting a large stone in but when I went to collect the eggs in the morning, there was a smashed egg squashed down the side on the 2 days that I trialled it.

 

Any suggestions?

[chick wiggle]

You could try blocking the entrance to the nest area with a flower pot or ball or something similar. i have the same problem, they perch on the divider with their bottoms hanging over into the nestbox I just pick it out in the morning

[Chucky1]

Our hens appear to have decided that they will either sleep in the nest box or sometimes perch overnight with their bottom hanging into the nest box, either way we have a daily pile of poo in the nest box.

 

Ours too

 

We tried the stone in the nest too . Whilst they didn't, thankfully, crack any eggs on it they did manage to drag it out of the way.

 

In the end I just decided it was part of life's rich tapestry and no point

 

Plus it is pretty nippy out there

 

Best of luck

[Sheilaz]

Mine do this too & I find it useless trying to stop them.

The method that I'm finding best for me now, having tried several, is to simply put down a couple of pieces of newspaper daily. Whilst collecting the eggs, which are fairly clean, I just remove the pooey paper each day, which is simple. I just fold it inwards to remove it, & put it in our compost bin.

I've done this for about 3 months & only had 2 days when they had played a game of shredding & scattering newspaper!

Hope this works for you, mine are just as happy laying this way, let us know how you get along.

[flamingo]

Basketball in the nesting box stops mine sleeping in there and I've wedged it in with a chunk of wood so they can't perch on the edge.

[K-F-C]

I put Aubiose in my nest box... makes it much easier to pick the poo out.

 

The other thing I do is pop out once they have gone to bed and turf them out of the nest box so that they sleep in the roosting area. They rarely go back in unless they want to lay during the night.

 

Doesn't putting things like balls in there make it difficult for them to lay during the night?

[oneyolktoanother]

ours do the same have tried evrything but they still do it they lay their eggs in the coup instead of the egg box i just clean the poo out quickly of a morning

[sandyhas3chucks]

are they snuggling up away from the rotten cold draft that whistles up their poor bums from the poo tray gap?

I know I would,.

I have mine covered in this weather!

[Sheilaz]

Yes KFC, I think that's why different people need to do different things. If blocking the nest box works for some that's great, but I know I couldn't consistently place & remove objects at the right time necessarily, my life doesn't work around those times.

Also, with 9 hens, I've noticed they have a very strict bedtime pecking order routine of who enters the Cube first etc (they queue up the ladder ) & if they're happy & content this way, then I am too.

It's interesting reading about different methods & comparing notes.

[CharLeila]

my girls do this too but i'm just putting it down to the horrible weather. Just introduced 2 new girls too and they all get on and huddle up in the nesting box. Yes there's poo in it in the morning which I just pick out but I'd rather them all get on and be in there warm than on the drafty roosting bars.

 

I hope they don't think they'll get away with it in summer though.

[ails]

Over the last week or so I have been adopting the folded layer of newspaper in the nest box everynight and just lifting it out poo and alland replacing it each morning, sounds like this is the best compromise if there is no easy way to stop them using it as a bed!

 

How many other people pick up a copy of the Metro each morning simply to use it to line their Eglu?

 

Think the poo problem is just more noticeable now we are in winter and they are obviously going to bed much earlier and therefore spening more time pooing in their bedroom rather than in the garden!

[Raina]

My girls poo in the tray & nesting box.

 

Some nights they'll sleep on the perches others they'll stay in the nest box.

 

I do the newspaper thing too,I'm quite lucky really,we get a free newspaper 2 times a weeks and most of the family give me their newspapers

[emchook]

I thought it was just me !

The newspaper trick is simply genius.. Why didnt I think of that before

 

I'll try it tomorrow ..way too cold to go back out there now !