My eco solution to rat problems

[michele]

My hens refuse to lay in the nesting box - they lay on the roosting bars. They move all the straw out of the nesting box. I have tried leaving an egg in the nesting box to encourage them where to lay but they moved it onto the floor of the iglu in protest.

[chelsea]

you can buy "pretend" eggs to encourage the chickens to lay (if you place them in the nestbox) also i've heard some people put golf balls in there too!!

[xChicken04x]

This is a tricky one....is there somthing in the nesting box bothering them? e.g mites or some leaking water? are all of them laying on the roosting bars or just one? maybe the others could not be letting it in?

[michele]

They are both laying on the roosting bars. There is nothing wrong with the nesting box - it is clean and no water is leaking. They have both layed their eggs on the roosting bars from day 1, and move straw from the nesting box onto the bars. It is not really too much of a problem - only one egg has been broken and that is the first one they ever layed. The only real problem is that sometimes the eggs get dirty.

[Sheilaz]

Mine always took the straw out & scattered it around as if they were offended by it.

So, I left the nestbox bare after that & they did start laying there. I now use a bit of Aubiose as it is easier for keeping the area & eggs clean.

SDo, I'd ditch the straw altogether. Good luck!

[michele]

Thanks for the advice Shiela, I will try removing the straw. Sorry to be ignorant but what is Aubiose.

[Sheilaz]

I should have said, Michele. It's similar to sawdust size, but it's hemp and stays much drier than sawdust. It's amazing for soaking up moisture & smells.

It's used for horse bedding, so a horse accessory/animal feed type place would sell it. Comes in an enormous bale size (about £7 or which lasts ages, and some people use it in their runs too.

I love it & only heard about it a few months back from Claret on this forum. Amazing stuff!

[Guest]

I have always used it - after I saw it in my friends stables - if it can soak up all that the horses do - I thought it has to be good for chickens.

 

I wouldn't use anything else. Brilliant - and I agree about moving the straw out of the nest box too.

 

Let us know how you get on.