Normal behavior?? Pullet rooting around in nest box

[cholmberg]

I have a barred rock, about 18 weeks old (not laying) who keeps getting
in the nesting boxes every day and throwing all the straw out. It's starting
to bug me. WHY is she doing this? Investigating? Thinking of laying? Every
day I go out to find golf balls on bare wood, and half the time with her looking
far too pleased with her self scratching around in there. Is this normal? Will
she quit? I've never had one do this. She isn't sleeping in there, just everytime I
put straw back in there, she can't wait it in there and root around in it.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Yes this is normal but not good. Try and have the nests lower than the roosts, put fake eggs in the nest and try to keep them from sleeping in there.

 

[cholmberg]

She isn't sleeping in there. She roosts, which are much higher than the nest boxes
She just scratches around in there every time I put
Straw in there, there are fake eggs in there ...
Well golf balls. I have no idea what the attraction
Is for her.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

She isn't sleeping in there. She roosts, which are much higher than the nest boxes
She just scratches around in there every time I put
Straw in there, there are fake eggs in there ...
Well golf balls. I have no idea what the attraction
Is for her.

Ok as long as she isn't sleeping in them then she may just be investigating them getting ready to lay.

 

[jentralala]

Maybe she's foraging in the straw for bits of grain? What about trying pine shavings?

 

[aart]

Is there something on the front of the nest, say about 4-6" tall, to make it harder to fling the straw out?
She's just figuring it all out and may stop being so 'assertive' with the rearranging once she starts laying

 

[cholmberg]

update:
she was indeed scoping it out. .. .two days later a small, but perfect light brown egg was
in the box, and my husband saw her in there earlier. . . sitting, not digging. =)