Chickens destroying nesting boxes?

[Star428]

They keep ripping out the nesting pads? And pooping all over the nesting boxes... they don't usually do this..
Is there a reason or a way to stop this?

 

[Debbie292d]

They keep ripping out the nesting pads? And pooping all over the nesting boxes... they don't usually do this..
Is there a reason or a way to stop this?
View attachment 3643412

We have silkies, many of whom sleep in the nest boxes and I got tired of the poop in there so switched over to horse pellets. I just have to stir those every couple of days unlike the floor which we never touch. Eggs stay a lot cleaner.

 

[jus10inla]

Make the front lip 3-4 inches tal. They cant scratch it out . Also put them on roost at nite from out the box. they grt out of routine as day
light shortens. Help them remember. May take about a week of this

 

[aart]

Is there a reason or a way to stop this?

How old are they, in months?
Did they just start laying?

Yes, add a front lip to the nests and do not let them sleep in them at night.

 

[Star428]

How old are they, in months?
Did they just start laying?

Yes, add a front lip to the nests and do not let them sleep in them at night.

They're all over a year

 

[sourland]

A raised lip on the nest boxes would help keeping the bedding from being scratched out. Are the nest boxes lower than the roosts? This is generally the cause of pooping in them.

 

[lagrange chicks]

I made a 3 stall rollout nesting box and use astro turf for bedding. Never had a problem with them sleeping in it, eggs are clean and out of the way. The astro turf can be taken out and washed if needed, but have seen no sign of them pooping in it ( only been laying for 2 weeks now though).

 

[aart]

They're all over a year

So have they been doing this since they started laying?
Do they sleep in the nests?

 

[TwoCrows]

My birds were horrible scratchers, they do this because they can. Put a 4" lip on the front of the box, the bedding will stay in. My birds stopped scratching in the boxes after they found that the bedding couldn't scratched out.

 

[Star428]

So have they been doing this since they started laying?
Do they sleep in the nests?

The silkies sleep in the nests but they've never destroyed it before... it's never been a problem... guess I should start putting more effort into stopping that