Hens scratch all hay out of nesting boxes

[7L Farm]

My young pullets would scratch out the hay & fake eggs. Seems they were just curious or maybe looking for a bug who knows, But once they started laying they stopped, I agree go in the coop at night & move the girl to her roost. Keep doing this she will learn that she's not suppose to sleep there. It worked for me anyway.

 

[MusiGal]

Okay, this is sort of off topic, but does anyone else have a problem with their chickens scratching and kicking bedding out of the coop itself? I have noticed that there are lots of pine shavings on the ramp and underneath and really all over the run now. I came home from work today and checked on my flock and one of my RIRs was standing in the center of the coop just scratching away. I'm watching pine shavings just fly out of the coop. I looked inside and there she was standing inside a bare circle that she had scratched away. I use the deep litter method and so I went in and turned the old litter over and then added about six inches of fresh litter and mixed in all in. I went inside for about 45 minutes and then stepped back outside only to find fresh pine shavings outside the coop. Oh well. Chickens -- who knew?

 

[Chris Hazlewood]

I notices that one of my nesting boxes was cleaned completely out. All of the hay was scratched out of the box along with the training egg. I added more hay to the boxes and put the training eggs back in each box. When I checked it again, that same box was cleared out again and the training egg was in the middle of the coop floor. Is one of my chickens trying to tell me something?

 

[aart]

I notices that one of my nesting boxes was cleaned completely out. All of the hay was scratched out of the box along with the training egg. I added more hay to the boxes and put the training eggs back in each box. When I checked it again, that same box was cleared out again and the training egg was in the middle of the coop floor. Is one of my chickens trying to tell me something?

How old are your birds?
Do you nests have a good front on them,
at least 4-6" high to help keep bedding and eggs inside the nests?
New layers are often rambunctious with scratching the bedding,
but should stop pretty quickly after laying a few eggs.

 

[Chris Hazlewood]

I think I will add a taller lip on the front to help keep the bedding in. I have 2 boxes for 5 chickens. My hens were born in early April. 2 are laying regularly. I think another one is getting ready to start and she may be making the mess. I haven't tried spying on them yet to see which one it is.

 

[aart]

I think I will add a taller lip on the front to help keep the bedding in. I have 2 boxes for 5 chickens. My hens were born in early April. 2 are laying regularly. I think another one is getting ready to start and she may be making the mess. I haven't tried spying on them yet to see which one it is.

Yep, that's a sure sign that one is getting ready.
Tho I do have one older hen that is neurotic about messing up the nests. SMH.

 

[MaximillianGms]

My husband and I use wood shavings for their nesting boxes but...my hens, roosters and guineas always immediately go to pecking at, scratching and eating them. So we stopped wasting the shavings and now just deal with angry laying hens all the time.