Poo in the nests...what to do?

[krudolph]

I have 2BO, 3 BR, and 3 EE, 1 BO roo and 1 Australorp roo, all 8 mos. old. For the last two weeks or so somebody has been pooping in nests. Hadn't been happening before. What would cause this and how can I stop it? Eggs had been so clean (I still washed them off) and now much more messy.

 

[Uzuri]

Do you know if it's happening at night? My rooster can't get up on a roost, so he was sleeping in the nest box. To stop him I started blocking the boxes. Clean boxes now, but I have to get out there early and late to take care of it.

 

[krudolph]

I don't know when it's happening or which one is responsible.

 

[farmin'chick]

I have a little trio that sleeps in the nest boxes -- they have an outside access hatch, so I just grab the nesting material and shake the poo out every day. (They are my blue cochin bantams).

 

[Plain Old Dee]

We have nest boxes that have little roost boards in front of them that can be flipped up to block easy access to the nests. I tried blocking off the nests once - but just once. Found the hens decided to lay early that day, and they made a nest on the floor under the nests where it's pretty hard for me to get to (I'm too old and fat to be crawling around on the floor of the henhouse!). Now I just clean out the nests a couple of times a week and put in fresh hay.

 

[vtchickenlady]

Its cold where I am and I have a couple that have been sleeping in nest boxes because its warmer in there. Consequently, they poop in there too. Not much I can do about it. The poop is frozen anyway, so I just pitch it out.