Pooping in next boxes

[poppyandpatch]

I have four chickens, 2 Silkies 13 and 1/2 weeks old, one Buff Orpington 14 weeks old, and one Dominique 14 weeks old. They have been pooping a lot in their nest boxes. I am worried this will be to much of a problem when they start to lay. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to stop this, because I don't want poopy eggs. Did anyone else have this problem? Do they stop pooping in their nest boxes once they start to lay? Thanks!

 

[Clucking-Mental]

Nope they poop in there boxes with eggs in too. The egg comes out of the same whole as the poop anyway.

 

[Mehjr10]

Make sure the roost are higher than the nest boxes and block off the nest boxes until you start to see eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When are they pooping in there? Overnight or during the day?

I’ll guess at least some are sleeping in the nests at night. There could be a few different causes. The first one that comes to mind is that the nests are maybe higher than the roosts. They like to sleep in the highest place they can get. If your roosts are not higher than the nests, change that.

At that age they could easily be transitioning from sleeping on the ground to sleeping on the roosts. It might just be a temporary thing. In any case, you should have a bit before they start to lay. Block off the nests so they can’t get in them. Get them in the habit of sleeping on the roosts that are higher than the nest boxes before you open the nests back up.

How much roost space do you have? I’ve had stronger chickens be so brutal to the weaker on the roosts that they abandon the roosts for a safer place to sleep. If that is going on, your nests may be the highest safe place. You might try providing another roost, maybe a bit away from the other if you can and maybe a bit lower down as long as it is above the nests.

I see you have Silkies. Silkies cannot fly. Are the nests the highest place your Silkies can get? You might need to work up a ramp or ladder so they can get to the roosts.

I applaud you for opening the nests before they start to lay. You have a chance to fix the problem you found before you get poopy eggs.

Good luck!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Nope they poop in there boxes with eggs in too. The egg comes out of the same whole as the poop anyway.

They come out the same vent, but they take different paths. The hen actually extrudes a part of the egg tract and turns it inside out so the egg is laid without coming in contact with the poop path.

 

[Clucking-Mental]

They come out the same vent, but they take different paths. The hen actually extrudes a part of the egg tract and turns it inside out so the egg is laid without coming in contact with the poop path.

Fair enough I still don't think a bit of s**t is anything to worry about.

 

[Mehjr10]

But it is nice not having to wash all those dirty eggs, Just from a time saving standpoint.

 

[Jayers]

Make sure the roost are higher than the nest boxes and block off the nest boxes until you start to see eggs.

This worked for me!
I will point out that one of my hens dirtied her eggs because her butt was smutty, but I did a round of probiotic additive with their water she cleared up.

 

[Ninamm]

I would still wash the eggs after you gathered them just for sanitation purposes. Great idea to block the nest boxes. Mine sleep in them as well and there is poops so guess we wll block them out and add another roost for them.

 

[poppyandpatch]

The coop is not gigantic because we only have four chickens so the nest boxes are the same level as the ground of the coop. We do have a roost which I know our Buff Orpington and Dominique go up on, but I don't think the Silkies do. Although the roost is not very far off the ground. I could try blocking off the nest boxes so they learn to sleep on the roosts. I am pretty sure the Silkies just sleep on the ground. Thanks for the help! I will definitely wash the eggs when I get them poop in next boxes or not!