Idaho?

[Mo5C]

Ok, I need advice. My chickens keep kicking all the bedding out of the nesting boxes and even though i try putting fresh stuff in they still do it. Do they like sleeping on the wood or something better? I would use pine shavings but I am allergic to the sap and oil in pine trees and can't even touch the stuff or I break out in hives. Currently I am using straw.

 

[IdaArchae]

Try using grass hay so they can actually nest in it. They can't "build" anything with shavings.....and straw is slick.

 

[MeAndTheBoyz]

my hens did the same thing when I raised my nesting buckets off the coop floor. they kicked all of the straw/shavings out and then made a nest on the floor of the coop in the corner. REFUSED to use the buckets.

I put the buckets back on the floor, they leave the bedding in and use the buckets for laying... weird.

 

[Daloorashens]

BRRRRRR it is cold out!!! I hope the birds make it through this weekend, yikes!!!!

 

[Daloorashens]

Ok, I need advice. My chickens keep kicking all the bedding out of the nesting boxes and even though i try putting fresh stuff in they still do it. Do they like sleeping on the wood or something better? I would use pine shavings but I am allergic to the sap and oil in pine trees and can't even touch the stuff or I break out in hives. Currently I am using straw.

I keep golfballs in the nestboxes to hopefully give them the idea those are NEST boxes, not scratch boxes, seems to work most of the time, but there are some days when they scratch them out... also... it;s the younger not-laying pullets that I usually catch doing that, not the hens that are laying.... don't know what the connection is there

 

[BeccaSmith]

BRRRRRR it is cold out!!! I hope the birds make it through this weekend, yikes!!!!

I second that! I look at the lows we are going to have this weekend and feel bad for my hens!

 

[Mo5C]

I third that. Hopefully everyones chickens make it through the weekend.

 

[Mo5C]

I keep golfballs in the nestboxes to hopefully give them the idea those are NEST boxes, not scratch boxes, seems to work most of the time, but there are some days when they scratch them out... also... it;s the younger not-laying pullets that I usually catch doing that, not the hens that are laying.... don't know what the connection is there

I think tha is who is doing it in my coop too, which narrows the culprits down to the 2 SLW's...naughty naughty pullets. Could they be bored?
Marcie I would lower the nesting boxes if I could but they are attached to the coop and it requires tearing the whole coop apart...not something I want to tackle in this inclimate weather, but it is an idea if I ever build another coop. The hens do seem to like to lay their eggs in the straw on the coop floor, all except Wilma, she actually lays her eggs in one of the 2 nesting boxes. IdaArchae that is an awesome idea, I will try that next time my dad gets some hay for the horse, (hopefully he won't mind if I just put some in the nesting boxes) they loved it the last time I had hay in there. Thank you for all the help guys.

 

[Daloorashens]

Maybe they are bored... I give mine some hay once or twice a week to scratch around in since the ground is snow-covered to give them something to do..


Michelle... what was the name of that rat trap you use??

 

[pawtraitart]

Maybe they are bored... I give mine some hay once or twice a week to scratch around in since the ground is snow-covered to give them something to do..


Michelle... what was the name of that rat trap you use??

The Rat Zapper! It's awesome.