Nest Issues With Young Hens

[LindsaySinai]

I had three hens that made perfect nests out of the straw I left in there nesting boxes and they would happily lay an egg each a day except one that passed away soon after I got her. So, I got two baby chicks and introduced them to the coop when they were big enough. They new ones tear the straw out of the coop as soon as I put it in the nesting boxes so now the other hens never have nests to lay in and don't lay as often(I'm not sure if that's related). The young ones are 24 weeks and haven't started laying yet...could they be tearing the straw out not realizing what its for and will hopefully stop once they start laying??? I built the coop and the boxes don't have lips on them...should I add a lip or wait and see if they stop once they start laying.

 

[ChicKat]

sometimes it seems that the chicken took a dust bath in the nest box..... (I have wood shavings).

Could you easily slip a temporary lip in the nesting box to help keep hay in for your layers...and hope that your new chicks will settle down when they are older and not tear things up---then remove the temp lip-- (like sturdy cardboard or something like that)....

Do they have access to a dust bath?

 

[LindsaySinai]

They have a few inch layer of wood shavings in the bottom of the run and they will dig aside the wood shavings then dig holes in the dirt underneath and take dirt baths...they do this daily so it doesn't seem like they'd feel a need to do it with the hay but you never know. The temporary lip is a good idea...that way I can put a permanent one in if it works...I just didn't want to go to the trouble of buying, cutting, and installing a piece of wood if it's not going to help. Thank you!