SusannenoZ Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 All of a sudden about 2 weeks ago my 2 chickens have stopped roosting on the bars and have taken to sleeping in the nest box, almost sitting on top of each other! This is not a problem except for the amount of poo now in the nest box each day, the poop tray has hardly anything in it, the bars have hardley anything on them but the nest box!!!! needs cleaning almost every day, the eggs are getting pooey. I wish the nest box had a removeable liner, that could be washed out. I have started to fill teh box with loads of shavings to try and soak up the poo, but teh nest box is really hard to clean at the end of the week even though I am scooping out every day. Any ideas why they have started to do this? In every other way they are fine, eating, laying, happy, no mites evident. Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Perhaps you could cover the nestbox with something overnight. The snag would be that if they lay their eggs early and the nest box is unavailable they would lay on the roosting bars and eggs could get broken. Perhaps you could find a robust plastic bowl which would fit snuggly inside the nest box and you could remove that daily for cleaning etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 My first thought was mites but you have discounted them! Try putting an up turned flower pot in the nest at night. That should stop them! Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 yes you can cover teh nest and I line our nests with newspaper, keeps it clean as I change it each day They've never broken eggs both getting int, in fact our bantams often lay together and you find 2 eggs fully intact! BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mine have always done this - Vera is always at the bottom even though she is the smallest Maybe it is just because the weather has been colder over the last couple of weeks that your girls have started snuggling up. You have 2 options 1/ Place a football or upside down plant pot in the nesting box at night thus forcing them to use the roosting bars OR 2/ If you are soft like me ( ) then fill the nesting box with chopped straw (the kind you can buy compacted at Pet shops) and simply remove the poo and soiled straw each morning with the aid of a pair of marigolds!! I find this system means that the nesting box stays clean and I only need to fully change the straw every fortnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mine will do that given half the chance, but I have a heavy galvanised planter that I put in the box overnight. Have you checked the ends of the roosting bars for red mites? These don't live on the hens, but come out of the 'woodwork' at night to feast off the hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 yes you can cover teh nest and I line our nests with newspaper, keeps it clean as I change it each day Little Megan has taken to sleeping in the nesting box. I put in clean crisp newspaper and everyday I get a flattened pooey thing that looks like it's been there a week and lshrinks to about half the volume I put in If you had anything for red mites maybe you could sprinkle some to be on the safe side and maybe put diatom on the ends of the roosting bars Maybe they just felt like the nest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 My two have always prefered to sleep in the nest box huddled up together. I did put an upturned plant pot in there for a couple of nights but it was obvious they were trying to sleep on top of it and I felt mean so I took it out Now I fill it with Aubiose and a bit of straw and usually just have to remove the straw bit every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannyCat Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mine have always done this, too - we definately dont have mites, because I dusted for them just last week "just incase", and smear the ends with diatom as a matter of course. Never had any broken eggs, though. I just put auboise in the bowl, and scoop out the poop using a trowel which I leave next to the eglu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn in Bristol Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 One of my girls has always slept in the nest, and it seems to always be the one at the top of the pecking order. It used to be Ginger, before she was foxed (sniff), but now it's big Parsley. In fact, she always seems to go into the eglu first to ensure she gets the comfy bed. I just line the box with newspaper and fill with straw, then have to change it every other day or so. Strangely enough, even if there's no poo, the newspaper is always soggy. It must get very steamy in there at night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickybaby Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 One of my chucks always sleeps in the nest box. They seem to have a competition going as to which one gets it first.......I'm just assuming they find the nest box more comfortable than the roosting bars! I fill the nest box with a small amount of straw and just change it every morning, takes about 20 seconds to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Last summer I had 4 broodies - they all tried to get into the nest box at once, so I kicked them out into the Rablu, which is like one big enormous nest box inside. I gave them a week of brooding to rest them from laying, then put 3 of them in the broody cage to snap them out of it. I left lavinia broody and set some eggs from lesley under her. Pure breeds, especially bantams are terrible for going broody! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannyCat Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 One of my chucks always sleeps in the nest box. They seem to have a competition going as to which one gets it first.......I'm just assuming they find the nest box more comfortable than the roosting bars! I fill the nest box with a small amount of straw and just change it every morning, takes about 20 seconds to do. Mine seem to have a "system" - lowest on the pecking order, lowest in the nesting box! Tonight I peeked in the eglu to check on the new chicken (1st night with the Big Girls!) and all three of them were squidged in the nesting box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Yes, Maisy always sleeps in the nesting box when the weather's cold. Means scooping our some pooey hemcore each morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Layla, the lowest in the pecking order, always sleeps in the nest box. Everytime i've blocked it off they've laid on the bars so i don't worry about it now. I change their bedding every day anyway, we use shredded paper....the Yellow Pages is particularly soft for them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Steed Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Mine have always done that they like the warmth. My tends to get broody, so last summer I put a large flower pot in the nest over night, much to her disgust!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy J Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Mine sleep in the nest.... Top chick always goes to bed last as if she has to make sure everyone else is safe and snuggled up before she will go in, middle of the pecking order goes in first gets in to the nest but when our chick goes in after her she gets out... funny really if the chick (bottom pecking order) does not get into the nest box the other two bully her until she gets in.... oh what a strange pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
