sunraysia
In the Brooder
Hi all,
I have 2 hens who have started laying and a younger chicken who I think is about to start laying (they're all around 22-24 weeks). About a week or two ago I started to notice poop in their nesting boxes, and this morning I found their eggs with a bit of poop on them (Yikes!). Today I figured I should go look whether they're sleeping in the boxes, and I found one of the hens in one of the nesting boxes, and then the younger hen also in the other nesting box. I then tried to gently place the younger hen on the roost, but she immediately moved back into the nesting box, and it made all of them start opening their mouths (It looked like they were yawning?) and I didn't know whether they were tired - because it was getting quite late - or stressed and didn't know what to do.
I was thinking maybe the nesting box is too close to the perches, or maybe there isn't enough room in the coop? Either way, I've heard chickens not sleeping on a perch isn't good for them, so I want to help them stop asap!!
I have 2 hens who have started laying and a younger chicken who I think is about to start laying (they're all around 22-24 weeks). About a week or two ago I started to notice poop in their nesting boxes, and this morning I found their eggs with a bit of poop on them (Yikes!). Today I figured I should go look whether they're sleeping in the boxes, and I found one of the hens in one of the nesting boxes, and then the younger hen also in the other nesting box. I then tried to gently place the younger hen on the roost, but she immediately moved back into the nesting box, and it made all of them start opening their mouths (It looked like they were yawning?) and I didn't know whether they were tired - because it was getting quite late - or stressed and didn't know what to do.
I was thinking maybe the nesting box is too close to the perches, or maybe there isn't enough room in the coop? Either way, I've heard chickens not sleeping on a perch isn't good for them, so I want to help them stop asap!!