I have a pullet named Mushroom. Mushroom is different than the other chickens. Her favorite pastime is destruction, like a bull in a china shop.
I put out a dish of freshly chopped vegetables. The other chickens will happily enjoy the feast, until Mushroom arrives and rakes her feet across it, flipping the dish and ruining dinner.
I put out a toy piano. The other chickens gingerly peck at the keys. Mushroom rakes her feet across it and flips the piano.
I rake the pen, then momentarily lean the rake against the wall to check their water level. The rake is now on the ground, with chickens fleeing for cover. Yes, Mushroom has raked the rake.
Now to the point... the chickens have had access to their nest box for over 6 weeks. It contains ceramic eggs. The nest is nearly pitch black. Once a day, Mushroom will go in and (you guessed it) rake her claws across the expensive nest pad, punting the egg around. Not only that, but she pins the egg between her legs and pecks it. She's not laying yet, but someone else is. Am I doomed? Is it just a matter of time before she cracks a real egg? You would think the novelty of the ceramic egg and nest pad would have worn off by now. I have a rollaway nest box, but I've been hesitant to install it as it will be have to be in the run for the winter (
), and it's not as dark and private as their Omlet.
What would you do? Video evidence of shenanigans below.
I put out a dish of freshly chopped vegetables. The other chickens will happily enjoy the feast, until Mushroom arrives and rakes her feet across it, flipping the dish and ruining dinner.
I put out a toy piano. The other chickens gingerly peck at the keys. Mushroom rakes her feet across it and flips the piano.
I rake the pen, then momentarily lean the rake against the wall to check their water level. The rake is now on the ground, with chickens fleeing for cover. Yes, Mushroom has raked the rake.
Now to the point... the chickens have had access to their nest box for over 6 weeks. It contains ceramic eggs. The nest is nearly pitch black. Once a day, Mushroom will go in and (you guessed it) rake her claws across the expensive nest pad, punting the egg around. Not only that, but she pins the egg between her legs and pecks it. She's not laying yet, but someone else is. Am I doomed? Is it just a matter of time before she cracks a real egg? You would think the novelty of the ceramic egg and nest pad would have worn off by now. I have a rollaway nest box, but I've been hesitant to install it as it will be have to be in the run for the winter (
), and it's not as dark and private as their Omlet.What would you do? Video evidence of shenanigans below.
Before my first group of girls started laying, my fake eggs were regularly punted out of the nest box. One was even kicked 4 feet away to the opposite wall of the coop. Once they started laying, everyone calmed down and no real eggs have been damaged by misbehavior.
