Carolina Wren Insists on Building Her Nest IN The Coop!

[Farmgirl1878]

I noticed today that there are a pair of mated Carolina wrens building a nest inside the coop. They fly into the run thru the 2” by 4” fencing, then into the coop thru the pop door.

The flock doesn’t seem to mind them now that they’ve gotten over the initial fright of having a small bird flying overhead, so no issues there.

My whole coop and run are sand, so I’m not overly concerned about mites, but what about worms? And are there any other parasites or diseases that the wrens could bring into the flock? Should I take the nest down tonight? And if I do that, how am I going to keep them from trying again tomorrow? I can’t keep the pop door closed all day or I’ll have a bunch of pissed off chickens laying eggs all over the run!

 

[christwodog]

If you can't remove the nest, or they put it right back, maybe you could sprinkle some poultry dust in their nest?? I don't think it would hurt them, if you use the .25% permethrin, like Hi Yield Pet/Livestock dust. They may not appreciate being treated for mites, and may decide to find a better place to nest! Just an idea...

 

[sourland]

I love Carolina Wrens, but every nest I have cleaned after the young have fledged has been filled with mites. If it were me, I would do my best to discourage them.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I’m not even sure how I could do that now that she’s figured out how to use the chicken door...

Just persistently tear out the nest... and offer them a different place to nest....

Last year my resident Carolina wrens raised a brood on my brush hog, another in a boot I hung on the back of the shed and finally another in a bird house... so they’re really not that picky.

This year their first brood was in this house, and they’ve already fledged... I just cleaned it out tonight... but didn’t look for or see any mites... but I’d likely keep them away from the chickens if possible

 

[aart]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is AI in this context, please? My folks had a cow they had AI'd and got a nice calf out of the deal but somehow that can't be right here....

Nope.
Avian Influenza

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I just found our resident wrens latest nest in a feed sack I had hanging in the shed used as a trash bag...

I tore it out and moved my clock house over to the back of the shed hoping they’ll use it again in this new location...

They eat so many bugs and catapillers I like having them around...

The idea that I could totally keep wild birds away from the chickens is foreign to me...we have trees and birds everywhere...

I certainly don’t encourage them to be in or around the coop, but birds are the about the last thing I worry about here

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I’m not even sure how I could do that now that she’s figured out how to use the chicken door...

 

[aart]

Remove the nest.
Try putting pet strips on pop door...
...something like this.

 

[ThracianHorse]

If you can't remove the nest, or they put it right back, maybe you could sprinkle some poultry dust in their nest?? I don't think it would hurt them, if you use the .25% permethrin, like Hi Yield Pet/Livestock dust. They may not appreciate being treated for mites, and may decide to find a better place to nest! Just an idea...

....or she might appreciate having a parasite-free nest and raise more babies as a result.

 

[aart]

Dusting one nest is not going to alter the local insect population significantly

Still a Slippery Slope....and not a good suggestion.

The solution for the OP's situation is to remove the nest and exclude the wild birds from entering the coop.