Merry Christmas & Happy New Years!

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

We've been busy this season and I haven't been able to come on and play. Finished our homeschooling semester for 3 children ages 5, 6 and 12 on the 20th and went straight into holiday overdrive!

We had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to celebrating the new year.
I hope you all had a nice holiday as well.

Question:
My girls have gone to higher grounds.
They've started nesting in the over hang of their coop instead of their nesting boxes.
What's the best way to get them to move back? My husband said he'll close that area up, but is there a reason that maybe made them move? Something that we might be able to change to just get them to move back?
Also I got a coop heater for just in case it gets seriously cold. It looks like a small flat screen TV. Any advise on placement? Any ideas or experiences that might be of use? Thanks!

 

[The-White-Elephant]

We've been busy this season and I haven't been able to come on and play. Finished our homeschooling semester for 3 children ages 5, 6 and 12 on the 20th and went straight into holiday overdrive!

We had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to celebrating the new year.
I hope you all had a nice holiday as well.

Question:
My girls have gone to higher grounds.
They've started nesting in the over hang of their coop instead of their nesting boxes.
What's the best way to get them to move back? My husband said he'll close that area up, but is there a reason that maybe made them move? Something that we might be able to change to just get them to move back?
Also I got a coop heater for just in case it gets seriously cold. It looks like a small flat screen TV. Any advise on placement? Any ideas or experiences that might be of use? Thanks!

Same goes for you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Need to see photos of the nest boxes and other problem area to see what can be changed/improved.

 

[3KillerBs]

They've started nesting in the over hang of their coop instead of their nesting boxes.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.

Are they nesting up there -- as in laying their eggs there?

Or roosting up there?

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.

Are they nesting up there -- as in laying their eggs there?

Or roosting up there?

Laying eggs I put a plastic container up there to keep them off the wires, they started laying eggs on it, so I put pine chips up there to keep the eggs from rolling into the soffit. Rotten eggs in the summer in the roof. Eeeewww

 

[3KillerBs]

Photos, please?

Of the entire setup from different angles, if possible.

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Photos, please?

Of the entire setup from different angles, if possible.

I'll go out later and get better pictures. Here's pictures I took the other day to see if that was blood on the board and to look for more eggs I couldn't reach. It's hard to see up there. I'm 5'1".

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Photos, please?

Of the entire setup from different angles, if possible.

Here are more pictures. Someone was making a ruckus and I went to investigate. I found this, last picture. Isn't that lashing? I'm so upset.

 

[3KillerBs]

Here are more pictures. Someone was making a ruckus and I went to investigate. I found this, last picture. Isn't that lashing? I'm so upset.

I'm guessing that they like the enclosed space up there because it's more private than the open bin. Can you rig some kind of enclosure around the intended nests so that they'll have that cozy feeling they're looking for?

I think you could easily screen off the area where you don't want them -- even plastic mesh would do since you're just containing chickens not warding off predators.

That last photo is a shellless egg. Are these new layers? It's a common glitch that you don't need to worry about if it only happens occasionally.

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

I'm guessing that they like the enclosed space up there because it's more private than the open bin. Can you rig some kind of enclosure around the intended nests so that they'll have that cozy feeling they're looking for?

I think you could easily screen off the area where you don't want them -- even plastic mesh would do since you're just containing chickens not warding off predators.

That last photo is a shellless egg. Are these new layers? It's a common glitch that you don't need to worry about if it only happens occasionally.

Yes we've maybe had three since September. They are new layers. This one just looked crazy long and it worried me.
I told hubby I thought he should enclose them when they moved. He said he would. Thanks!