Keeping Nesting Box clean?

[KikiDeAnime]

I'm not sure who it is but 2 or 3 of the hens keep leaving poop in the nesting box. The hens lay at different times of the day so I'm unable to go out and see. I'm also quite busy this week with finishing an art piece for someone.

How do I keep the nesting box clean without scaring off the hens from laying in it?
It's important as 1 of our 2 pullets has started laying and I want her to continue laying in the nesting box. I also want to keep the eggs as clean as possible.

And before you say anything, we're currently in the process of building another coop so there will be enough nesting boxes by the time next year rolls around.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have already answered my first question, it is during the day. Then you got my second, number and sex of the chickens though actual ages of the younger ones could help. You are posting faster than I can type this morning but keep it up, it's good info.

I don't think it is a number of nests issue but that for some reason they are spending time in the nests. I don't think it has anything to do with the size of the nests. Until you know why they are spending time in the nest I can't tell you how to fix it. Since it is during the day I'll speculate that some of your chickens are afraid of some others and are avoiding them. The nests are a safe place for them to go.

If it is pullets then they may be hiding from an amorous cockerel. If it is a younger chick, they may be hiding from the hens or older adolescents. During integration it is pretty common for my more immature ones to be where the older ones are not. If they are all in the coop the younger are often on my roosts while the adults are on the coop floor. Some may hide under the nests, they are pretty low. If the adults are in the run, the young are in the coop. The younger avoid the older.

The same type of thing can happen with pullets trying to avoid an amorous cockerel. They try to go where the cockerel is not and try to get somewhere that he cannot mate them. Since you are building a new coop I'd guess they are fairly crowded.

They may already be in the habit of using the nests as a safe place so ti it may be hard to break them. The solution may be to give them other safe place they can go. That may involve additional room or it may involve other places to hide. That's not always easy to do, especially when you are busy with other commitments. That may involve more run space, it may mean adding things things they can hide under, behind, or above in the coop or run.

It may involve locking up a chicken. If the problem is an amorous cockerel locking him up can take care of the problem, the females no longer have a reason to hide. If it is the chicks doing it because of age you may need to lock them up until they mature or you finish your new coop. I'm speculating but I believe it boils down to not enough room or hiding spaces for a mixed age flock and/or cockerels/pullets going through puberty. I don't think it has anything to do with number or size of the nests, just that they are safe places to hide.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can get beaten up for posting almost anything on this forum, someone will not like it. That wire is the size of a pencil, it will not hurt feet at all. It looks really smooth.

One possible issue with smaller wire is that some wire can have sharp little nubs on it from the manufacturing process, either from welding or galvanizing. If present those can cut a bird's foot. Not all wire has them but if they are present, they will be on one side. If you install that wire with the sharp nubs down it will not hurt the birds' feet. Carefully wipe your hand on one side to check. There can be concerns with wire but they are easily mitigated.

My brooder in the coop has a wire floor with bins underneath to catch the poop, keeps the brooder really dry and clean-up is about a easy as it can get. Even spilled water is not a problem. My grow-out coop is elevated with a wire floor but my main coop is dirt with bedding. If someone used wire that was installed incorrectly I can see why they would be concerned, it can damage feet, but I just don't have that issue.

 

[aart]

It is 'baby' poops or the larger layer poops?
Should be able to tell the diff.
Could the younger birds sheltering in there.....
...or could be a layer with a faulty 'two way door' who poops when she lays(I have a couple of those).
Poops happen.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Is it possible one or more birds are sleeping in the nest at night?

 

[jolenesdad]

What are the dimensions of your nesting box?

Also how many birds do you have? You definitely don’t need a box per bird, they’ll mostly use the same one.

 

[CountryChic63]

I use sand in my boxes and every day use a kind of sifter and remove any poo or debris that the hens have dragged in. Usually they would get it stuck to their feet and it would fall off while they were scratching around getting their nests perfect. The sand doesn't deter them from laying in the boxes and they have more trouble kicking it out of the boxes so it's been ages since I got a broken egg. I have four hens and four boxes and every day they pile into the same box and lay eggs it's so goofy. That said I think it's still best to have one box per three hens, just so they still have the option.

Only sand, or is the sand covered with a layer of straw? I like the idea of being able to sift through the sand to clean the boxes, but I would've thought the chickens would want to peck at it as they do grit or gravel. ???? (I'm a newbie, so I'm questioning this because I've never heard of using sand.)

 

[HeiHeisMom]

All ten of our hens lay in one nest.
There are three huge nesting boxes (each one will hold two full grown Reds just fine), but there's only one broody...
This morning there were eight extra eggs in her nest. She has nine of her "own"...
Her sisters just keep shoving her over to one side, laying and leaving!
They are a riot!

 

[Jemma Rider]

Only sand, or is the sand covered with a layer of straw? I like the idea of being able to sift through the sand to clean the boxes, but I would've thought the chickens would want to peck at it as they do grit or gravel. ???? (I'm a newbie, so I'm questioning this because I've never heard of using sand.)

Yup, just sand. They do pick at it a bit but it shouldn't harm them, i use constriction sand so there are some little rocks and it's more gritty then something like playsand. I used to use it in my coop floor as well and it worked wonders, i didn't have time to sift it regularly though during the school year so I'm temporarily using shavings again.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-sand-in-your-chicken-coop.47795/

 

[Hokum Coco]

I’ll warn you now you are going to get beaten up about your wire floors ....

Yes one thing I learned no matter what opinion you have there are always someone to find fault with it that is what we humans do best. The only time they are on the wire floor is just to eat. They can seek relief from the wire in other areas of my 3 tiered coop.