My Girls are Getting Weird

[Peppercorngal]

My chickens are doing strange things. Someone slept in a nest box last night. That hasn't happened since chickhood! I also found 3 eggs UNDER the nesting boxes! That has NEVER occurred before either. I told my husband we need to take the legs off the nesting boxes and put them on the floor! (which is what I wanted in the first place). Many of the girls are molting, but those would not be laying. What's going on with this flock? I've had many flocks and chickens for years, these are the first hens that have started doing strange things! Also now that it's cooler many of the chickens are sleeping outside in the run on their roost. They didn't do that when it was 110 degrees! Now they do. It's not a problem, just something different! Any thoughts?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be mites? Check at night with a flashlight, otherwise dust all the wood cracks, and nestboxes under the bedding.

I sometimes see nest sleeping when they molt. Some seem to be uncomfortable on the roosts and will take to the nestboxes.

Under your boxes looks like a nice place to lay. I personally would raise the boxes higher, not lower them. Eggs that can be seen when walking by might attract pecking.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sometimes I've given up trying to explain strange behavior. There surely is a cause but without observing the birds in their surroundings over time, it is only a guess.
What I can tell you is that if you raise enough chickens for long enough, you are likely to observe just about any possible behavior.
To deal with the feces in the nest, build a cover so you can close off the nest by dusk and open it in the morning. The one/s that have acquired the habit of sleeping in there will eventually roost elsewhere.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Could be mites? Check at night with a flashlight, otherwise dust all the wood cracks, and nestboxes under the bedding.

I sometimes see nest sleeping when they molt. Some seem to be uncomfortable on the roosts and will take to the nestboxes.

Under your boxes looks like a nice place to lay. I personally would raise the boxes higher, not lower them. Eggs that can be seen when walking by might attract pecking.

I will check for mites tonight. I don't want to raise the nest boxes as they aren't using the top 3 boxes now. If anything, I'll put them on the floor, maybe then the top most boxes will be used?! I am happy to say that the eggs were still nice and clean even though they sat on that dirty poopy floor!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Sometimes I've given up trying to explain strange behavior. There surely is a cause but without observing the birds in their surroundings over time, it is only a guess.
What I can tell you is that if you raise enough chickens for long enough, you are likely to observe just about any possible behavior.
To deal with the feces in the nest, build a cover so you can close off the nest by dusk and open it in the morning. The one/s that have acquired the habit of sleeping in there will eventually roost elsewhere.

Thanks for your reply. I'm going to wait a couple more nights before dealing with the nest sleeping. It maybe just a one night deal. My hens begin laying eggs at 6am. I'm not up and have no plans to get up! If their nests are closed they will just lay in places I don't want them to, and it will be more trouble for me! I'll see what happens before I deal with it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Once it gets dark, you can remove the blocks to the nests. The chickens won't get off the roost at night to go into the nests - they can't see unless you provide night lights.
Block the nests in the afternoon and remove them when they go to roost.

 

[aart]

Sometimes I've given up trying to explain strange behavior. There surely is a cause but without observing the birds in their surroundings over time, it is only a guess.

Boy, that's for sure!!
It can drive you nuts trying to figure out exactly what's going on!

Once it gets dark, you can remove the blocks to the nests. The chickens won't get off the roost at night to go into the nests - they can't see unless you provide night lights.
Block the nests in the afternoon and remove them when they go to roost.

That's what I do, cover nests an hour before roost time and uncover after dark when I lock up....or check nests after dark and move bird(s) to roost.

 

[Pullet Mom]

I personally don't think sleeping in the nest box is unusual, at least not for mine...at times i have 2-3 in there at one time.

 

[aart]

I personally don't think sleeping in the nest box is unusual, at least not for mine...at times i have 2-3 in there at one time.

It's not unusual.....but not a great thing to have happening,
unless you like poopy eggs or cleaning out nests every day

 

[ChickenCanoe]

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