yannovitch Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Bonjour tout le monde! today is Sunday and it is still raining and my tomatoes are going to NEED OME SUN SOON and does anyone know a prayer to make the sun come and stay? Anway... Just a little question... My two chooks both sleep in the nest at night... I thought they were meant to "roost" on the bars... It just means that the tray does not get fille up very much and the nest gets dirty rather quickly... Is it the same for anyone else? Is it normal?? The chooksare quite young you see... We got them jst a months ago... Any comment will be well appreciated... Bisou Yann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Don't worry. I have a hen that always sleeps in the nest as well and in an old chicken house I had with roosting bars and a separate nest area they all chose to sleep in the nest area. And yes it is a pain with it getting dirty. It would be so much easier if they did what was expected of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 If you don't want them to sleep (and poo) in the nest, you could put a football or plant pot in the nest at night so that they can't get in there and hopefully after a few weeks they will get the idea and roost on the bars. At first I had no problem with my girls sleeping in the nest but found that if I hadn't been out to clean the nest early enough, when they laid, the eggs would get all pooey so now I put a football in at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 What a good idea! I will try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 I am afraid I am getting stricter with my hens. When I say goodnight to them through the Eglu eggport, if one is in the nest she gets lifted up on to the bars. She usually stays on the bars for the rest of the night. Luckily in the Cube one hen sleeps with her head looking through to the nest, thereby stopping anyone from going in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Mine sleep in the nest box too. Not too messy, so I leave them to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Welcome Yannovitch Its up to you - the girls can sleep in the nesting box if you want - but if you want to avoid poopy nesting boxes first thing (and therefore poopy eggs!) then Gallina and xscrunchee had some really good ideas. Our girls nesting boxes are lined with shredded paper so if there are poops in them we tend to just given the paper and it all falls to the bottom ready to be cleaned out at the end of the week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 I have one that starts the night in the nest box, bit if I go out later to check, she is roosting with the others, all piled in a corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnrob Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 you could put a football or plant pot in the nest at night so that they can't get in there When the MFO came to set our Eglu up he told us about the football idea. I bought one from Poundland and we put it in each night now as Greta likes to hog the nestbox Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan H Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 I had one who slept in the nest box, I didn't mind and the other birds didn't care either. It does make the nesting material a little messy and you will have to change it more frequently, but thats small change for a happy hen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickaboo Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Lola used to sleep in the nest box, Ithink because she had a bad leg and it was more comfortable for her. It did get messy, but she was happiest in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue and the Spice Girls Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 If you don't want them to sleep (and poo) in the nest, you could put a football or plant pot in the nest at night so that they can't get in there and hopefully after a few weeks they will get the idea and roost on the bars. If you've got a cube a box of Kleenex tissues (empty) just fits in the hole to stop them going in overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 My girls seem to take it in turns who sleeps in the nesting box. I don't really mind, I know what is is like not to have a good night's sleep, so I leave them to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs T Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Both my two sleep in the nest box, they always have done! I think its really sweet they cuddle up to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I've got 3 hens in a Cube and I've just been out to check on them and all 3 are side by side in the nestbox like feathery sardines . The whole of the roosting area is empty . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 All 7 of mine try to squeeze in the nesting box 5 can get in and snuggle comfortably. Last night was obviously more of a squish than usual as when i let them out this morning someone had poohed on Rhubarb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Poor Rhubarb!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 ......someone had poohed on Rhubarb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Kate, sounds like room for more chickens then! Mrs Bertie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Mine sleep in the nest box too but i tend to leave them to it. The eggs are never too pooey and its their house so they can sleep where they like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Same here Helly Welly I once put an old plant pot in the nest overnight but it felt too mean - they love snuggling up together in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMcHen Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 If you've got a cube a box of Kleenex tissues (empty) just fits in the hole to stop them going in overnight. Yes but then they just climb in over the top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I have made a cylinder of plastic mesh which fits in the nest box and blocks the top. A pain to get in but it does the job. Will continue trying to think of easier options. Does anyone know why the port hole panel doesn't go to the roof? Maggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
