My teenagers are definitely a challenge

[bobbieschicks]

These teenagers are about to drive me crazy.

First my 15 week olds are still roosting on the side of the coop wall instead of on the actual roost. I had hoped when they got bigger they would quit that ridiculous habit. They huddle up there on a 2x4 stud and poop down onto the floor instead of sitting on the roost and pooping into the manure box!

But worse then that my 11 week olds are sleeping in the nest boxes! I wouldn't mind it if they JUST slept in there - but of course we all know what chickens do when they sleep. UGH! Nothing is worse then reaching into the nest box to gather eggs only to get a big handful of poop instead. And since they are teens they don't poop one gigantic poo - no it's a kazillion little poops!

I don't remember my bigs being this obnoxious when they were teens. And now we're about to have a handful of babies to contend with as well since I have two broodies on 9 eggs. Maybe next time we want more chickens I will just purchase laying hens!
I love my chickens!

 

[rikithemonk]

Perhaps you could put up a barrier along the wall to make the ledge on your wall inaccessible. For example stapling a piece of chicken wire across it. As for the nest box issue, I cant think of any way to stop them from sleeping in them, but I do have one idea for you.

You could replace the nest boxes with 5 gallon buckets. They are plastic and much easier to clean than wood. You could have spare buckets ready. Every morning switch the soiled ones out for the spares and then hose them off and let them dry for tomorrow.





Riki

 

[Melinda35]

Are you sure you have enough roosting space? Mine were sleeping in the nesting boxes and it was driving me insane as well. The problem was not enough space and the stupid guineas! If not Riki has great ideas.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I was thinking of taking away their cell phones and giving them a curfew - JK!

Good idea about the chicken wire - when we clean out the coop this summer I may consider doing it. However, I think time will solve the roosting on the wall issue - when they are too fat to balance up there - they will move to the roost like the big ones did.

The bucket idea is interesting - I may try that under the manure box while I work on the roll out boxes this summer. I don't think I have room in the coop for them to stay permenantly - but we'll see how things go. Of course by summer it may not matter as they will be old enough to fight back any roosting bullies and will most likely be up on the roost again. There is plenty of space - they just get pecked by the older ones and don't much like it.

Chickens- never a dull moment!

 

[rikithemonk]

The picture I posted is just one I grabbed off the Internet. Mine are a little different. In my coop, i don't have wooden nesting boxes. You flip open the egg door and you see the back of the bucket bottoms. They sit on a stand that holds the sideways buckets and stops them from rolling or moving. I have half the bottom of the buckets cut out to give a lip protecting eggs from falling, but allowing me to reach in from the back. Because the buckets are just sitting on the stand, I can just lift them up a bit to take them out for cleaning. I have room for four nests, but since I only have 7 chickens, I only installed two. It works out well because the empty bucket stands make excellent extra perching space.

Riki