darkwoodali Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Quick question, one (or possibly more than one) of my girls seems to have taken to pooing in the nesting box. I've only had the first couple for about 3 weeks and added two more on the weekend but it's only started happening this week. The first two are definitely spending more time in there (I had thought they were about to lay) but I can't be sure who it is. Is it normal for chickens to do this? Could it be a sign (albeit one that means I have to clean them out more often!). Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I have had my girls for about 18 months now and on and off one or two of them have slept in the nest box, I just clean it out in the mornings. My Blackrock and Bluebelle sleep in it every night now even if I kick them out they go back when my back is turned They did it less in the summer so I am assuming they are doing it as it is warmer in the nest box than the cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallulah Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 we've got a cube and while the 4 originals don't (and have never)sleep in the nesting area, Guinevere and Cleopatra have tended to sleep in there since we introduced them about a year after the originals arrived....but that was OK then as they needed to be seperate. They haven't gotten out of the habit, and we think they actually like to perch in the hole facing into the cube (so their backs are protected maybe??!) so they end up doing their overnight droppings in there. We put a block now over that hole each night (Be it cardboard taped on, or a large box in the nesting box) which we remove each morning when we let them out. It just keeps their straw clean and saves us a cleaning job each morning....its OK in the summer but when its dark and wet and you are trying to get ready for work as well it can be tedious having to clean out the straw! So thats our way of dealing with it. Maybe your chooks are getting ready to lay and getting confused by those signals?! I wonder if they get a pushing urge, like us ladies when having babies or perhaps they are just practising and the wrong thing pops out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 My head girl puts herself to bed in the nest box every night, I just open the door and say "are you getting out or am I moving you?" and nine times out of ten she gets out. Mind you she quite often hops back in when i've gone . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeybunny Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 They haven't gotten out of the habit, and we think they actually like to perch in the hole facing into the cube (so their backs are protected maybe??!) so they end up doing their overnight droppings in there. one of my chickens, Custard, likes to sleep perched in the entrance to the nest box with her head in the nest box and bum in the main cube. This is fine as all the poo is collected in the poo tray and she blocks the entrance so anyone going to bed after her can't get into the nest box! Every evening when I close the door to the cube I remove any chickens from the nest box and put them in the main cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooker Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Our girls are the same! the same offenders every night put themselves into bed in the nest box, every night I lift the lid and they reluctantly move onto the perches, its a good opportunity for me to talk to them, I hardly get to see them in the winter! I clean out the next box every morning as someone will usually make their way back into the nest box during the night and poo, we dont want pooy eggs! Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G8rSteph Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We put a block now over that hole each night (Be it cardboard taped on, or a large box in the nesting box) which we remove each morning when we let them out. It just keeps their straw clean and saves us a cleaning job each morning....its OK in the summer but when its dark and wet and you are trying to get ready for work as well it can be tedious having to clean out the straw! So thats our way of dealing with it. What a great idea! I'm going to have to find something to put in there - maybe a soccer ball or something. Our nesting box is filled with poo every morning, too, and we scoop it out, but it is a pain - as you say. They seem to roost on the edge of it with their bottoms over the nesting area. It can be quite a pile in the mornings! LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rufusrooster Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 i have cube as well, i bought a piece of plastic channel from b&q and superglued 2 lengths along the top and bottom of the hole, then fit a sliding door, does the job and its made of a soft plasticy cardboard stuff, if we dont remember or get to shut it before they go to roost we tend to find all 5 crammed into the nest box, have to then kick them out, we try remember to open it a few hours later but if we dont as its soft they knock it down themselves in the morning to get in the nest box and lay there eggs, clever girls eh, but not so clever that they knock it down to roost in the nest box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkwoodali Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Ah, sounds like it's relatively normal behaviour then! Will have to have a word with my girls. I suspect it might be Peppa (Black Star) asserting her dominance over the nesting box. Funny where they like to roost. The first night I introduced Sylvia (Speckled Star) and Beryl (Cotswold Black Tail) I found Sylvia perched` Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkwoodali Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Whoops, last post submitted by the bottom of a naughty 2yr old boy! That'll teach me to be posting when it's breakfast time. Anyhow, Sylvia was perched on top of the nesting box divide. Didn't notice her at first when I pushed the lid back and was confused as to how she'd escaped! They do make me laugh (and don't demand cake for breakfast...) Peppa (Black Star), Egg (Amber Lee), Sylvia (Speckled Star) and Beryl (Cotswold Black Tail) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Sadly pooey eggs is part of being a chuck mum here. As soon as I've cleaned them out they rush in and chuck any bedding out of nestbox - whether its shredded paper , straw or auboise. I also tried putiing a plant pot in the nest box but in winter when I leave early and its dark morning and evening difficult to remember to move it. So I wash the egss - if I give any away I wash them really well. I did say to them " why do you do that" as nesting material flew out in all directions and all they could come up with is "bok" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 ours do the same especially in the winter they snuggle up together i just get the poop out in the morning when i let them out into their run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Chickens will usuallu want to roost on the highest point they can so the edges of the nestbox do become favourite spots Apparently there is a size of tubtrug that fits the hole in the cube exactly like a plug a football or a flowerpot fits in an Eglu nest box well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Chickens will usuallu want to roost on the highest point they can so the edges of the nestbox do become favourite spots Apparently there is a size of tubtrug that fits the hole in the cube exactly like a plug a football or a flowerpot fits in an Eglu nest box well when one mine was broody i had to use my rabbits tunnels that extends, he was'nt very happy about it even though he does'nt play with much he would rather lye in front of the tv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Plan A: the football as a plug, cheeky madams pushed it out. Plan B: 3 footballs in the nesting box was my next try. Ended up with 5 girls in the nesting box with footballs on their heads. Plan C: sheet of alluminium with a coathanger taped to the top hung over the divider. They shoved it to the side. Plan D: I gave up. I poo pick in a morning. They won Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 one of my chickens, Custard, likes to sleep perched in the entrance to the nest box with her head in the nest box and bum in the main cube. This is fine as all the poo is collected in the poo tray and she blocks the entrance so anyone going to bed after her can't get into the nest box! We've got the same with our huge Bluebelle, Troy. She (yes, a she - a long story) is easily the biggest hen and could force her way to a nest spot but always ends up with her bum poking out over the droppings tray. Mind you, there's a whole mountain of it that she produces overnight... We really wouldn't be surprised if the other hens have barred her from the nest box. She's only allowed in on a REALLY cold night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 footballs on heads - This was a coffee on screen moment - composes self - on Tuesdays I work late and at present girls are in bed so its a game of hunt the eggs - they (the eggs) are never in the next box - luckily non broken yet - OH refuses to take back off Eglu as he struggles to put it back (thats his story) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickanne Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Opened up the yesterday evening and Thelma was in the nest box - again. Louise was perched on the edge of the nest box facing away from her. Guess what she'd done on Thelmas' back!! Have given up trying to stop them - chickens know best apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkwoodali Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 It's definitely looking like Peppa. Shooed her off at bedtime but what's the betting she's there in the morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My girls have won too. I tried putting a ball in the nest box at night but as they often lay early in the morning I was not sure what they would do if the box was filled in so had to go out really early to remove it. I also tried lifting them out but one or other usually returned or perched on the edge with their bottom over the box! Now in the morning I go out with a sheet of paper with paper shreddings and my compost bucket and just lift out the old piece of paper with shreddings and poo and put it in the bucket with whatever I've removed from the tray. Then deposit the lot in the compost bin. ( I do not put a lot of shreddings in the nest box so they don't seem to spread it about much!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkwoodali Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Ha! Just put them to bed and found 3 out of the four in the nesting box! Did think there was a mighty lot of poo for one chicken! Guess it is cold out there so think I'll give them a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Yep I've had to turf the maran out as she's hunkered down in there. Although poo usually seems to belong to the smaller bantams. Yes, they have been perching in the hole with their bums into the box. But the best one was when I blocked the box for the night. The silkie somehow managed to perch on the top of the partition. I gave up then and just turf them out at night - sometimes it's clear. It has been a bit better since they started to lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Yes, it's safe to say that the girls win every time. Be it owning the nest box, the garden, the garage or the shed. The only place that seems to be our domain is the kitchen and I think that they are slowly beginning to take that over too .... still chuckling about your girls with footballs on their heads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgieB Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The footballs made me laugh too When we had a cube and 10 ex-batts we had 8 of them in the nest most nights. They'd just pile on top of each other and looked so cute and snuggled that I never had the heart to move them out. I just put up with having to change the straw each day. It was worth it to see them so content though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
