Holding poop??

[Harmoni]

So we have 2 RIRs. They are about 6 months old. One is laying, the other is not. I had read that 70% of pooping occurs at night. One of them is pooping small solid bits in the nesting box at night. This morning, there were maybe 4-5 small solid poops in the coop. As soon as they were both in the pen, they took a massive poop. I have read about broody behavior and broody poops, but I don't think it is that since only one is laying a she just started. Is it possible that they have a poop location preference?
TIA

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are they sleeping in the nest boxes? That's something you want to break (unless you don't care about the eggs themselves). Might also explain why one is holding it in, because they don't want to sleep in their own waste.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Are they sleeping in the nest boxes? That's something you want to break (unless you don't care about the eggs themselves). Might also explain why one is holding it in, because they don't want to sleep in their own waste.

Agreed. This makes sense.

 

[Harmoni]

I th

Are they sleeping in the nest boxes? That's something you want to break (unless you don't care about the eggs themselves). Might also explain why one is holding it in, because they don't want to sleep in their own waste.

I think the one might be. We have a small temporary coop and the roosting bars are less than desirable. But it seems like both of them wait until they are out in the run to poop.
How would I break that habit?

 

[aart]

How would I break that habit?

Block the nests an hour before roosting time.
Post pics of your coop, inside and out, and maybe we can suggests improvements.

Could be the one who is not laying has the smaller poops,
they will get much larger when she starts laying.

I had one bird that always rushed out and dropped huge turd in the run as soon as I opened the pop door. Have no idea why.

 

[Harmoni]

Block the nests an hour before roosting time.
Post pics of your coop, inside and out, and maybe we can suggests improvements.

Could be the one who is not laying has the smaller poops,
they will get much larger when she starts laying.

I had one bird that always rushed out and dropped huge turd in the run as soon as I opened the pop door. Have no idea why.

The current coop, is a crappy premade one from chewy. My husband is building their mansion this weekend.
They both are having giant poops as soon as they are out of the coop in the morning.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Block the nests an hour before roosting time.
Post pics of your coop, inside and out, and maybe we can suggests improvements.

I had one bird that always rushed out and dropped huge turd in the run as soon as I opened the pop door. Have no idea why.

Ha I have one that does that too - and she usually drops it right in the pop door, ugh. If I see her heading out I try to rush her forward so she'll at least drop it on the run floor.

And x2 on blocking the nests. Would also help to raise the roosts if they're lower than the nest boxes, though that might be tough in a prefab especially if it has very low vertical clearance.

 

[wf1992]

I want housebroken chickens!!

2x re the small poops being from the one who's not laying yet. I'm seeing the same thing, and hoping my girls stop sleeping in the nest boxes once they start to lay! For now they seem to run in there to hide from me, or other chickens, or shadows...

 

[aart]

hoping my girls stop sleeping in the nest boxes once they start to lay!

They won't, break that habit asap.

 

[mamajos]

My pigeons do the same thing, a big poo in the pen, after being let out of their cage each morning. I thought that they are just smart and want to keep the cage cleaner.