The Pearsons Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 I keep putting hemcore / wood shavings / straw / shred paper in the nest box but the some of the hens kick it out and lay on the bare plastic..... The eggs get dirty when they are laid on the plastic where are nice and clean when laid on hemcore. Two hens and two chicks also sleep in the nest area...... Stupid birds prefering cold hard plastic to warm clean hemcore! Helen in Hume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I used to line the nest box with straw, but they kicked it out. Now they prefer aubiose in the nest box but did kick it out at first. Laverne lays quite thin shelled eggs and i have to put something in the box or else they break when she lays them! As they take it in turns to sleep in the nest box unless i put a plant pot in, i do find it easier to remove the 'soiled' aubiose in the morning and this aslo prevents messy eggs. Keep putting aubiose/hemcore in the nest box and they will get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 ours do the same, we just keep hoofing it back in when they're not looking. i read somewhere that somebody lined their nest boxes with mousemats but surely that just gives red mite a cosy hiding place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I put hemcore in topped with some shredded paper, most of the time they lay on it but sometimes kick the whole lot out and lay on the plastic, luckily it happens less and less now, they used to do it all the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pearsons Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Keep putting aubiose/hemcore in the nest box and they will get used to it. But how long will it take? 3 months of topping up the hemcore every morning now and it still gets kicked out every day..... It is also getting dark in the mornings and soon they won't be up before I go to work Helen in Hume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbieboy Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 We put a metal tray over the nestbox hole before they go in at night and take it out in the morning when we open the Cube door. When we first got the 2 Omlet girls they slept on the wooden bars as they should but when we introduced the 2 younger girls 3 weeks later they bullied them into the nestbox and lay on top of them every night, mess every where but that was before they came into lay, now they rush out in the morning for food/water, we take out the tray and then they go back later in the day to lay in a nice clean nest. The Omlet girls never made much mess but big Mavis just started to lay and she digs all the hemcore up before she settles in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 You can put a plant pot or a football in the nestbox overnight to discourage them from kipping in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pearsons Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 You can put a plant pot or a football in the nestbox overnight to discourage them from kipping in it. The chicks are in the nesting box with Mama and Auntie at present - I think the chicks are still a little too young to sleep on the bars but I may well so that next week......... I know I am supposed to keep the chicks seperate but they are escape artists and insist on being with "the grown ups". There is a little peck every now and again to re-inforce positions within the flock but the chicks give as good as they get as a rule so I have just let them get on with it. Helen in Hume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 You can put a plant pot or a football in the nestbox overnight to discourage them from kipping in it. I want to do this, as I'm sick of cleaning the nestbox out (note to self: next time you clean the Eglu, get the poo out BEFORE turning the hose on it. I absentmindedly soaked it yesterday, and then cleaning it was a really job!) However, mine lay quite early - sometimes before I've got the Eglu door open. I don't want them to find they can't get in there to lay because I haven't got out of bed early enough. Presumably as the days get shorter, their laying time will get later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Just a tip - I put a plant pot in the nest box before they go to bed. Once its dark and they are sleeping happily on the roosting bars, i take the plant pot out. They never move back into it! If I forget to put the pot in, they are there like a shot, alternating Laverne one night, Shirley the next. Babs is a good girl and always sleeps on the bars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 ah, thanks for the tip Christian - I could take it out when I tiptoe up to close the door. I sort of assumed they would get in as soon as it was removed, but they're quite dopey once they are asleep, aren't they. I'm going to try that tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
