Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[hunkydoory]

My 6 new girls (pekins) are now about 14 weeks old.

They reside in an eglu classic that opens out into a WIR.

My problem is the nest. I use barley straw in the nest but it gets very wet and compacted The wetness can only come from the sweaty little darlings all piling into it at night although the 6 of them are struggling to fit in now. Is there anything I can use that is absorbant or any suggestions about alternative bedding material?

[chicken bark]

Are you sure it is them messing in the nesting box? Maybe the nest lid has a leak?

 

You could put some Bio-Dri or Stalosan in the nesting box - Rapport, Hemcore, Aubiose etc etc are all meant to be quite absorbant.

 

Maybe you just need to turf them out of the nest box at night?

 

Chickens - they have their quirks don't they.

[hunkydoory]

No leak, elsewhere in eglu remains dry. I think it is simple condensation because of their body heat. I'll have to try one (or more) of your suggestions.

 

I haven't turfed them off the nest simply because initially they struggled to get on with the roosting bars because of their size I had to use cardboard to create walkways

 

Plus the huddle in the nest helps to keep baby bantums warm - arhhh -

[knackered]

I have 3 pekins that sleep in an eglu nest box and have noticed the same thing - but it seems like the moisture is coming from underneath as the top of the auboise seems dry but the bottom is compacted and wet.

[sparkysmum]

Believe it or not tonight I have 5 in the nest box of my eglu classic My pekins and sablepoots now share an eglu and despite having removed the roosting bars (they don't like them) they are all on top of each other in the nest box. Silly girls, at least they'll be warm

[Egluntyne]

I'd change to Aubiose. Straw gets very claggy and damp.