Laying area

[piggykids4]

I have heard that the laying area should be kept clean. How do I keep my girls from just chilling in There and pooping all over? They are not laying eggs yet.

 

[HEChicken]

If they are not laying yet, they don't need access, so I would block off the nest boxes until closer to the time they need to be in them. Nest boxes are often a preferred place to sleep because they seem private and safe.

What I did to block mine off is this:



Sorry - not a great photo, but what it is, is feed bags tacked to the front of the nest boxes. I did this because I have a mixed age flock and the laying hens needed access, but the younger birds wanted to sleep there at night. So I tacked the feed bags to the front, allowing me to pull them down like a curtain over the front of the boxes by night, but fold them up to open up the boxes during the day.

 

[truckguy]

I took mine out for the time being. I have time before they start laying eggs.

It also gives me time to add or modify the coup if needed.

 

[piggykids4]

I have a mixed group too. I bought my first group about two months before the second. About when will they start laying so I know when to open it up?