Chicken Poos??

[love_stuz]

In the mornings when i check the nesting boxes, there is always runny poo??
Is that normal? i know it sounds gross :s

 

[Fred's Hens]

Are your chickens sleeping in the nesting boxes?

 

[Magic Birdie]

I know it's bad for parrots...

 

[elmo]

Could be normal cecal droppings:

http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Well, that depends on the species. I know runny droppings are the only kind of droppings our lineolated parrots produce!

 

[love_stuz]

Yes my hens are in there nesting box.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Sleeping in boxes designed to stay clean, for clean eggs, is NOT what you want. You want the chickens to sleep on roosts. While sleeping, a chicken passes an enormous amount of poop. The chickens's natural instinct to to roost higher than where it lays its eggs. The nesting boxes work best if virtually on the ground level. The roosts work best if the chickens can step up to one roost, say as high as you knee, then step up to another bar just that much higher again. Some people have roosts that ladder up two and three roosting bars. The chickens gain confidence and work their way up. Eventually, the courageous and dominant chickens roost on the very highest bar. Pecking order determines how high up each bird gets to roost.

If hens are sleeping in the nesting boxes, it is a mess. Eggs get smeared with poop and this is not desirable. They are sleeping in the nest boxes because they feel more secure. The wouldn't feel secure if those boxes were on the floor. They'll learn to go up on the roosts. The roosting bars need to be nice and wide, 8cm-10cm or 4 inches wide.