How to discourage chickens from pooping in living area.

[crazzzymike13]

I built a chicken tractor last year. The chickens never poop outside, they poop inside where they sleep. The shelter part is like 4 ft by 3 ft. I've heard the wont poop where they nest? Maybe if I fill it with hay maybe it will discourage them from pooping? Or maybe put their feed in there? Any ideas?

 

[jdywntr]

They poop when they sleep. They won't, usually, poop in the nest.

 

[Cknldy]

Make sure the nest part isn't higher than their roosts. Chickens naturally go higher for safety. Are there predators harassing them to make them stay inside so much?

 

[crazzzymike13]

No predators. They won't roost. I put a roost in there so i could put a tray underneath them so I could dump it every week. They sleep on their poop. I hate that because I don't want them to breathe that junk. Maybe I could fill the hole living area with hay and maybe they won't do that.

 

[Cknldy]

You have a very nice set up! Have u tried going out at dusk when they're bedding down and put them on a roost? One of my rir girls tried to sleep on the ground in a corner of the coop when they transferred from the grow out coop. Coons could possibly reach her so the next night I put her on the roost and everyone else followed suit. I checked for several nights after that but all was well.

 

[crazzzymike13]

I haven't tried that Ck. But im going to try that. That coop I actually found the blue prints on youtube. It was the first time I ever built anything like that. I even made a water system with those water nipples and PVC.

 

[Cknldy]

I thought about doing the nipple waterers but we have freezing winters so it would probably be a bigger hassle than using an ice pick on hanging waterers

 

[3forfree]

After building a new coop as the birds grew I had to put them on the roost one at a time before they all started to use it. It's funny watching them roost now as they fight for position.

 

[crazzzymike13]

My Brabanters.