eggs in the poop tray

[Cheryl1948]

My husband and I just added a poop tray under the roosting poles. It is made out of 2X4's and plywood and I put PDZ and shavings in it to catch the poop. Problem is one of the girls that liked laying in the floor "under" the nesting boxes now has decided the poop tray is a nice place to lay eggs and some of the others see her doing it and are thinking they might like to do that too!

Would wire over it prevent this, since they couldn't scratch and get comfortable to lay? Learning daily about the gals. There is always something going on. Thank you for any input.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi there,
There's one in every batch isn't there?? Anyway, I have removable pans also - I don't put any shavings, straw etc. in the pans - it's simply a metal poop catcher. The girls don't even like to walk on the cold metal right now. Try leaving the pans bare and see if that cures 'em.

 

[Cheryl1948]

Thanks boskelli, but I don't have metal trays and I love the PDZ. It really works keeping all ammonia smell out. So, that is why I was asking about wire over it.

 

[The Lazy L]

Thanks boskelli, but I don't have metal trays and I love the PDZ. It really works keeping all ammonia smell out. So, that is why I was asking about wire over it.

Ammonia smell? You may not have enough ventilation in your coop if you smelling ammonia.

 

[Cheryl1948]

Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like there was an ammonia smell throughout the coop. The ammonia smell was only slight when I was right over top of it cleaning it out of the floor. But now with the PDZ in the poop tray, there is no smell at all. The coop is 8ft by 16ft and has three windows and two air vents on each side at the roof. There is plenty of ventilation believe me.

 

[dbounds10]

I have 2 that are laying in he poop tray, its making me nuts. I have not figured a way to stop it yet. This spring I am going to redo the inside of my coop so I am hoping that helps.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Problem is one of the girls has decided the poop tray is a nice place to lay eggs and some of the others see her doing it and are thinking they might like to do that too!

It is not a perfect world and we do not all have perfect chickens.

 

[aart]

Put a couple golf balls or fake eggs in each of the nests and leave them there....see if that changes their tune.