What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Ailie]

First time poster. Hello, everyone!

 

We got our three beautiful ladies last week. They seem to be settling in well, although they're very messy young madams. Every night, they've pooed everywhere in the eglu and have taken all of their nesting material (barley straw) and flicked it through the roosting bars.

 

They haven't started to lay yet, but if they keep this up, there will be nothing to cushion the egg when they do.

 

Is this a problem for others? Is there a way to show them that leaving the straw in place is a good idea?

[Busybird]

Welcome to the forum

 

I have had this issue with new chooks in my classic. I use shredded paper and my last newbies would get into the nest box, shuffle around and push all the paper out of the nest. The paper would end up outside the eglu and a soggy mess.

 

I started decreasing the amount of paper I put in and, after a couple of weeks, they stopped pushing it all out (perhaps they got used to it?).

 

I would therefore suggest just putting a very small amount of nesting material in and see if this helps.

[SusieB123]

Hi there - I am a newbie too. I have had my 2 chooks in their eglu go for 7 weeks and it wasn't a problem but the last few days they have started doing it too. It was a real mess this morning with nothing left in the nest box. Mine aren't laying either yet but may need a re-think when they do if they carry on being so messy. When I first got them they used to sleep in the nest box but recently have moved to the perches so maybe there is a link??

[Ailie]

Thanks! It's good to know that it's not just my chooks that have turned their bedroom into a tip!

 

I'll have a go at decreasing the nesting material - that seems like a sensible idea and has to be worth a shot. Hopefully when they reach the point of laying they'll realise that I've put the straw there for a purpose!