My niece decided she didn't want her 4 chickens anymore so we took them in. One just started laying about a week ago but here's the problem...All 4 sleep & poop in their nesting boxes. The one that is laying does lay them in the nesting box but it's got poop all over the egg every time from them pooping there. I clean it out EVERY DAY & put a small amount of hay in the nesting boxes. They kick the hay out EVERY TIME!!!!!!!! They have 2 roosting bars. I could care less if they sleep in there but is there anything I can do to stop the POOPING??? I am beyond frustrated lol please help!!!!!!!!!
Huge problem...
- Thread starter JNGLFEVR
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- Aug 29, 2014
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It was nice of you to take them in and give them a home. I am still new to this, but here are a couple of thoughts; others can correct me.
They poop a lot when they sleep, so if you can get them to sleep on their roosts it will help (assuming your nesting boxes aren't right under the roosting bars, which they usually aren't). I've read a lot of posts here that say it is pretty easy to teach them -- you just have to place them up there gently, and make sure they have their balance and can stay before you totally let go -- for a few nights in a row until they get the hang of it.
Mine don't like straw in the nesting box either, so I have pine shavings in there and they work fine.
They poop a lot when they sleep, so if you can get them to sleep on their roosts it will help (assuming your nesting boxes aren't right under the roosting bars, which they usually aren't). I've read a lot of posts here that say it is pretty easy to teach them -- you just have to place them up there gently, and make sure they have their balance and can stay before you totally let go -- for a few nights in a row until they get the hang of it.
Mine don't like straw in the nesting box either, so I have pine shavings in there and they work fine.
Are the roosts higher than the nest boxes? If not raise them. Birds generally like to roost at the highest possible point.
- Aug 3, 2015
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I'm a newbie, but I was told by an experienced gentleman to lay a layer of sand along bottom of nesting box with straw over top that. I 'spect others will add pieces to the puzzle. Hope a aha! is up next for you
- Aug 3, 2015
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Just occurred to me I have time between when I let them out into run in early morning and when they start laying, at least 1/2 hr later, i think. That period presents an opportunity to clean out nesting boxes, if you got time and your on similar schedule with your birds
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- Aug 3, 2015
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My hens tend to prefer the highest roosting perch. My chicks are moving up there, used to sleep huddled on the ground. Now I'm not sure. I haven't watched.
You really don't want to stop the pooping...hehehe...and that's not the problem anyway.
But you can stop the sleeping in the nests.
You've just added new birds to your flock.....so you're dealing with an integration problem.
The existing birds are probably not allowing the new birds on the roost, so they new birds take refuge in the nests to sleep.
First check that they have enough room on the roosts, 1 foot per bird is best....yes, they'll sleep on less space, but they need that space to get settled.
For new birds I add a roost, a little lower than the existing roost, until they are all roosting together(can take months).
But you can stop the sleeping in the nests.
You've just added new birds to your flock.....so you're dealing with an integration problem.
The existing birds are probably not allowing the new birds on the roost, so they new birds take refuge in the nests to sleep.
First check that they have enough room on the roosts, 1 foot per bird is best....yes, they'll sleep on less space, but they need that space to get settled.
For new birds I add a roost, a little lower than the existing roost, until they are all roosting together(can take months).
Are those your hens and their coop in your avatar? If so, that coop is pretty tiny. They may not physically have space to get onto the roost bars. Birds need some vertical room for take off/lift off, plus room to spread their wings, and the roost has to be far enough away from the walls and ceiling, etc. I'm thinking that may be a bit of the problem.
- Aug 29, 2014
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x2; that is a really good point, as is everything that's been said here. When my hens were new to roosting and new to their coop, they needed a lot of room to maneuver in order to fly up and jump down. They still do a lot of clunking around on the roosts in the morning to position themselves properly before they jump down. Every morning when I come out to feed them, I hear "stomp, stomp, stomp, THUMP," like the coop is full of dinosaurs.
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