emmat Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Hello all I'm after a suggestion of how to keep my ladies out of the cube nesting box at night. Their bars are never used. I tried s football but they moved it away from the hole. Tried a piece of wood but they pushed it over. Tried double sudden velcro to keep it in place and it didn't stick! Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minkey Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 My cockerel does this at night and I have found nothing to deter him yet in the winter months when the girls stopped laying I blocked it off totally, but have had to stop now they are laying again. Min key x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Marmite always used to sleep in our classic nestbox, i just dug a big plant pot in there so they couldn't kick it out. I took it out around 9pm so they could lay their eggs in it in the morning. And now its poop free Maybe you could do something similar with the cube? I'm not too sure about the layout of the inside of the cube so can't be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmat Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Thanks I think if I took it out at 9pm they'd just get in again! DH could take it out about 6am, think that'd be ok? I need to scout round and look to see what'll fit. It's a round hole, quite big... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Now all my girls are in the cube between 2 and 5 sleep in the nest. I let them now, when the originals were in the eglu I used to block it off. But now I just poo pick each morning, only takes a second or two and Marshmallow likes to lay in the middle of the night sometimes so I don't want to risk her not being able to get to the nest. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I don't know what type of hens you have, but we have a mixture of ex batts and pure breeds. Our 4 ex batts have always slept in the nest at night and now our Araucana sleeps on top of them in the nest too, while the other 3 are on the perches. I really don't think it matters where they sleep and as we have ex batts we feel that as they had such a hard life at least we will let them sleep where they choose. Okay we might not get the poop out of the nest before they lay, but I don't think a bit of poo on an egg is going to harm anyone. I just make sure I wash my eggs before I use them if they look a bit dirty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmat Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Thanks they're ex batts, just 3 now as 2 died. The only prob of it is the poop underfoot. DH goes put at 5.30/6 every morning and isn't home until after they're in bed. I'm at home with 15 month old toddler. Days when it's dry I can put her on my back and change their paper but when it's wet they end up going to bed in last nights poop. Hmmmm. It'll be easier when the weather warms up. Do you think it's the bars they don't like to sleep on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Thanks they're ex batts, just 3 now as 2 died. The only prob of it is the poop underfoot. DH goes put at 5.30/6 every morning and isn't home until after they're in bed. I'm at home with 15 month old toddler. Days when it's dry I can put her on my back and change their paper but when it's wet they end up going to bed in last nights poop. Hmmmm. It'll be easier when the weather warms up. Do you think it's the bars they don't like to sleep on? Mine certainly don't seem to like the bars and I think it's because they are ex batts and when you get them they can often have weak bones. I do clean the nest out every day and the trays underneath the bars and I did read somewhere that it's not good to leave poop where they sleep as it gets very cold. I have to say I have noticed when I do a poop pick up that if it's been cold overnight my fingers almost freeze on the bits of poop, even through gloves It will get a lot easier once the mornings are lighter as your girls will be up before your hubby goes to work, so hopefully he can do a poop pick up before he goes, if he's willing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmat Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Probably not! But hopefully I can wear Martha on my back and do it in the sun in spring. For now I think he'll have to shuffle them out after dark to change the paper, then try can shuffle back in again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
