- Sep 9, 2010
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I'm brand new here.
I kept chickens for much of my childhood/teen years, and remember a few of the little tips we learned or picked up.
The rule of thumb I learned from old timers where I lived regarding hens sleeping (and pooping) in the nesting boxes, was that because chickens like to sleep on the highest thing they can get to, the roost should always be higher than the boxes -and I learned for myself that if the bad sleeping arrangements continue despite a good location to roost, Bullying (Chicken Politics) and/or roost crowding can be the cause, and an additional roost a little lower and a couple feet away gives the meeker hens somewhere to sleep. I found that this problem was pretty easily diagnosed by quietly standing outside and listening to them getting ready for bed -if there's periodic flapping and squawking, Bullying or crowding is probably it. The sad thing that we don't know about (because they usually stop this stuff when we are there), is that often the meeker hens try to get up on the roost numerous times every evening, only to be rebuffed and pecked by the others, finally giving up in exhaustion and darkness to sleep in a place that makes them miserable.
I was also told that hens pooping in the laying box can be a health issue (for us) because the porosity of eggshell can allow various cooties (including Salmonella, I was told) from poop to contaminate it's contents -and poop on an egg should never be washed off, but sanded -because water can carry cooties through the shell. I'm not sure if this is all true, but I figure it's probably good practice regardless.
I kept chickens for much of my childhood/teen years, and remember a few of the little tips we learned or picked up.
The rule of thumb I learned from old timers where I lived regarding hens sleeping (and pooping) in the nesting boxes, was that because chickens like to sleep on the highest thing they can get to, the roost should always be higher than the boxes -and I learned for myself that if the bad sleeping arrangements continue despite a good location to roost, Bullying (Chicken Politics) and/or roost crowding can be the cause, and an additional roost a little lower and a couple feet away gives the meeker hens somewhere to sleep. I found that this problem was pretty easily diagnosed by quietly standing outside and listening to them getting ready for bed -if there's periodic flapping and squawking, Bullying or crowding is probably it. The sad thing that we don't know about (because they usually stop this stuff when we are there), is that often the meeker hens try to get up on the roost numerous times every evening, only to be rebuffed and pecked by the others, finally giving up in exhaustion and darkness to sleep in a place that makes them miserable.
I was also told that hens pooping in the laying box can be a health issue (for us) because the porosity of eggshell can allow various cooties (including Salmonella, I was told) from poop to contaminate it's contents -and poop on an egg should never be washed off, but sanded -because water can carry cooties through the shell. I'm not sure if this is all true, but I figure it's probably good practice regardless.
