Fox attacks - a list of what happened?

[Chrysalis]

I don’t know if this is normal behaviour, but our girls have started to scatter the nesting material all around their house, which forces us to replace it each day.  For the first week of getting our two new hens, they were happy with our first hen, and each morning the house (Go Up) was tidy and the straw was in the nesting area.  The last two days have been chaos, with nothing much in the nesting area, and everything scattered around the rest of the house.

OK, we are first-timers, and this is new to us, but does anyone else find this?  Is there any way to retain the bedding in the nest site?  Would a cardboard box help?

 

Chris and Christine 

 

[Sara_PC]

I've found that the straw never stays in the nest box in the Go Up either - it needs to have a little wall around it to keep it in. 

I've tried putting a small washing up bowl in there which worked well, but one chicken would roost on the side of it and poop in the next box. Other people have used little trugs in there to keep the straw in. I've tried fixing two washing up bowls together to create and enclosed next box - I've got a post about it somewhere - and that has worked the best so far. 

[Cat tails]

Straw is generally not recommended as nesting material as it can harbour mites and lice. I use woodchips in the nesting dip. Works well and stays mostly in place. Others here use things like aubiose or easychick bedding. I find woodchips last long and don’t go mouldy. 

[GrannyTrish]

I use aubiose and Winnie scratches it way and lays on the floor. If she's happy doing that and still lays then I'm happy with it, too!

[Luvachicken]

You can use a cut up plastic milk bottle, weighted down on the underneath with screws, to cover up the drainage hole and then put the aubiose or similar on top.

The straw will probably have had little bits of corn and stuff attached to it which may have encouraged them to scratch it all about.

Using aubiose or similar, like Cat tails has suggested, is a better option than straw. It's also better at mopping up spillages like broken eggs.

[Cat tails]

The Go does have drainage holes, but not in the nesting dip. They are only in the tray below, so if using something like aubiose in the nesting dip, there is no need for plugging up holes. 

Btw, no need to fill the tray with wood shavings or aubiose. I found it will only start to go mouldy quite quickly. I line my poop tray with newspaper for easy cleaning.

[mullethunter]

I don’t put anything in the tray (although I did put easichick bedding in on the -6 nights for a bit of extra insulation). I find it isn’t necessary and it’s easier just to tip the droppings out of an empty tray.

[GrannyTrish]

5 hours ago, Cat tails said:

 I line my poop tray with newspaper for easy cleaning.

What a good idea! Pity I read this minutes after doing my weekly clean-out!

[Cat tails]

1 hour ago, GrannyTrish said:

What a good idea! Pity I read this minutes after doing my weekly clean-out!

 sorry!

made a how to clean topic once... I’ll see if I can find it

But of course the link is broken. I’ll see if I can dig up the pictures.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Cat tails

[Cat tails]

Tadaa! I'm just about to go ahead an do this!

[GrannyTrish]

Thank you!

[Sara_PC]

That's exactly how I cleaned mine!

I tried Aubiose in the nest box dip but they pooed in it a lot...I used to have to clean it every day. 

[Cat tails]

Since those photos my city council decided chicken poop could go in the green bin again. Saves me on waste.

[Patricia W]

I use aubiouse.  I wonder what our Council says about recycling the poop?  Must find out.  I've got several compost bins in various stages of decomposition so could do with another outlet.  Although, I do have a neighbour with an allotment with his wheel barrow at the ready ! 

[The Dogmother]

As has been said, try to avoid using straw; it encourages dampness, mould and mites. Same goes for paper and cardboard - especially corrugated cardboard

Personally, I just use Aubiose in the nest box

Patricia;all my excess litter and manure goes to friends with an organic smallholding, I get organic veggies and fruit in return!

[Luvachicken]

Interesting pictures 

My spare Omlet house, which I thought was a GO, is totally different to the pictures shown.

Mine has 2 separate roosting bars with just the nest box staying inside - I think I could be muddled over the UP part  

[mullethunter]

My Go - not an Up - is just like that.

[Luvachicken]

On 26/03/2018 at 6:46 PM, Luvachicken said:

My spare Omlet house, which I thought was a GO, is totally different to the pictures shown.

Mine has 2 separate roosting bars with just the nest box staying inside - I think I could be muddled over the UP part  

That's because my spare house is an Omlet Classic  

I got sent a lovely brochure with some stuff I just got for the girls and there on one of the pages was what I have 

No wonder it was different 

[Cat tails]

[mullethunter]

Luvachicken I did think that might be the case but didn’t want to say 😂