Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[CND]

Hi!

 

One of my hens has developed a (nasty) habit of dragging all sorts of rubbish into the nest box. This week she's managed to find some old potatoes (which she's dug up from somewhere) and she's dragged them back to the nest. The thing is whichever one of my 3 hens it is doesn't eat this stuff and it takes some effort given the size for her to get it there (although she's so far managed to do it without me spotting her) so I'm a bit bewildered as to why she's doing it. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

[DaisyAndBobby]

Ours take all sorts into their nest box. Twigs, bits of bark, pine cones. I think it must be a nesting type instinct. Not heard of potatoes though!

[Luvachicken]

Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens

[Egluntyne]

Typical nesting behaviour.

[sjp]

Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens

no there not unless they've gone green. raw potatoes are edible just not very palatable that said they do get eaten raw in parts of South America

my lot eat the leaves and the tubers with no ill affect I don't feed them to the mob they help the selves

[mullethunter]

 

I can just picture her struggling to drag a very heavy potato along the ground!

[Guest]

Maybe get her a little shopping trolley to make her life easier

[Luvachicken]

Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens

no there not unless they've gone green. raw potatoes are edible just not very palatable that said they do get eaten raw in parts of South America

my lot eat the leaves and the tubers with no ill affect I don't feed them to the mob they help the selves

 

Sorry, my mistake, I must have mis-read about potatoes and forgotten about the green bit

[sjp]

Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens

no there not unless they've gone green. raw potatoes are edible just not very palatable that said they do get eaten raw in parts of South America

my lot eat the leaves and the tubers with no ill affect I don't feed them to the mob they help the selves

 

Sorry, my mistake, I must have mis-read about potatoes and forgotten about the green bit

it's a popular misconception the raw potatoes are poisonous if they were we cook them wouldn't make them safe the'd have to be treated the same way that red kidney beans are