Dolly Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Do any of your hens have tantrums when the nest box is in use?! Roxy screeches her head off and stomps up and down the garden if someone's in there when she wants to use it! She used to share with her second-in-command (who sadly is no longer with us) but no-one else. I've even tried getting the 'spare' eglu out for her to use but just like a toddler, it's a case of "I don't want that one, I want MINE!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Josie my bantam will peck and harass whatever poor chicken is sitting in the box that she *needs*...she's such a freaking madam! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 I watched Jo push herself under Edith until Edith was actually sitting right on top of her - don't know what happened after that as I left them to it and found two eggs in the nest box when I went back - oh and we do actually have two nest boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 I've had 4 in ONE nest box at once before as they all decided to lay at the same time and couldnt wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 oh yes and do they complain! the nest box is big enough for 3 but they always want to use the one side it doesn't help that 2 of them like to take their time luckerly one is sitting on eggs at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 I find that 'Nestbox Engaged' is the biggest cause for noise amongst my chooks and they can't half kick up a racket. I have one particularly pushy white silkie who even goes and sits on whoever is in there just to make that chook as uncomfortable as possible. This happens even though there is room for 3 in there. I've also got a small nest box extension as it were (an old wine crate), but this only gets used by those lower in the pecking order. Thought - think Omlet needs to do a 'Nestbox Engaged' sign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer_chicken Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Echo used to chase the hen occupying the nest and sit on it herself for 30 minutes+ only to get up again and wander off having done nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Bertha does this too, she is very large therefore there is no sharing with her and she likes to take her time, we have just merged her and Mother with the 5 hens in our wooden house and WIR and she doesn't approve because she no longer has her nest box and she has taken to waking us up at 5.30am to complain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I caught both of mine in there today, they don't normally lay together (Crystal is the early bird) Hemmy is all feathers but looks twice the size of Crystal and they'd squeezed in together. I don't think mine complain about it being 'engaged' but like to let the neighbourhood know that their best friend is *about* to lay an egg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolimac Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 When i first got the girls we sectioned off the nest boxes (for privacy) but they didn't approve,then the shouting and queing started and now they all pile in together .All squashed in one corner I would'nt mind but there's plenty of room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 All this squashing into the nest box makes me feel hot let alone my hens. Thankfully my chooks showed some sense in the muggy temparatures of today and took their turns like a proper cinema queue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We regularly have 3 tier hens in the "favourite" nestbox. The one at the bottom always appears quite happy to be squashed flat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Yep, sounds familiar. our boss hen, Troy does like a good sit down and a read of the paper and if anyone else wants in, then they'll have to wait. Troy tends to enjoy an hour... As for when Houdini goes broody, she plonks herself on her favourite part of the nesting box (actually they all love the bit closest to the door), the others stand on the ladder to the cube and make massive amounts of noise until we come and move her. They're not daft, hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Dot has a few places she's dug especially for laying eggs that are reserved just for her. If another hen is there she is not very pleased! Shed runs around the garden and does her annoyed shrieking and will eventually come back and lay her egg on top of her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 is there any way of stopping tantrums. Mine aren't POL yet but with 5 and a classic I'm wondering if I should provide an extra 'nest' somewhere??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 As I have several Silkies there always seems to be someone feeling broody and so I have had to proivde an alternative nesting site. It is a little wooden wine box with a bit cut out for easy access, and some straw in it for comfort. It looks a bit like a small dog basket. It has no top but I place it under our wooden hen house and my chooks seem to rather like it. One of my hens has also found her own spot under a bamboo. I couldn't find her last night at 'lights out' time and went round the garden with a torch only to find that she had collected a little heap of 7 eggs which she was now sitting on. I've removed all but one to spare her feelings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntielizzie Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My two have three nest boxes to choose from, but they always both lay in the same one so I always find both their eggs in the same one:!: I have seen Betty sitting on top of Bessie before, doing her best to dislodge her Betty always hangs around in the house while Bessie is laying - supervising I think (she's top chicken) - whereas Bessie is quite happy to let Betty get on with it in peace - they are funny aren't they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I've made the cube nest box into 2 portholes 2 distinct nest boxes to try and alleviate the tantrums & noise. It seems to be working as the one whos waiting sits next door and nips round once the first ones finished, they won't lay in each side. The noise is a lot less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
