Poop in nesting areas

[Lilac Ginata]

Is that normal? My girls are not quite laying yet, sometime next week or so I should see my first egg but they seem to poop in the nesting I have in the nest boxes. Not alot but definatly some poop. It is because there food is near that area? Opposite the next box? Or is this just something chickens do? Will they lay eggs in a poopy nest box? If so can i still use those eggs or do they have to be thrown out?
These are my first chickens so i don't really know what to expect.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

How are your nest boxes set up? Are they near the floor? Up high? Are they sleeping in them?
I like my boxes a little off the floor but lower than the roost. My chicken don't seem to show much interest in them until they need them. And mine don't have poop in them either. The cackleberries are spanky clean when I pick them
You can use the eggs with poo, just make sure you wash them prior to use. But, non-poopy eggs are possible. If they sleeping in the nests, find some way to close them off at night. If they're just generally hanging out in them at all times throughout the day, close the off until you find an egg from them. Then open them up and put in some golf balls, easter eggs or other egg like things. Good luck!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Sounds like they're sleeping in the nesting box. You might want to block off the boxes in the late evening before they go in to roost. Put a board in front of it or something in it so they can't go in there to sleep. You'll have to unblock them very early in the morning to allow them to lay, though.

Make sure your roosts are higher than the nesting boxes as chickens will seek the highest point to roost for the night.

 

[polishserb]

My chickens are scratching the bedding that I put in the boxes. I too have seen some poop but not very much. I let them free range at times and as soon as I get knew bedding in there one of them runs in and scratches it out again. The boxes are lower than their roosts also. I'm lost for ideas also.

 

[Lilac Ginata]

Thank you! That's a really good idea!