Roosting bar higher than nesting boxes, but they're still pooping ON the nesting boxes during the da

[MysteryChik]

Hello. We have a large "open air coop", 15' X 17'. Our Roosting bar is well above our nesting boxes, yet during the day our Chickens are STILL sitting on and pooping all over the top of the nesting boxes.(Old milk crates) Any one have any idea of how to control this. We actually finished constructing a new open air coop just today, (just as large) but haven't put the nesting boxes in. We are having to separate our flock. We had A mama hen, and ten babies that were given to us. Come to find out they are mixed game fowl. The babies are approximately 13/14 weeks. We purchased Three Barred plymouth rock hens and a Barred PR rooster a few weeks ago. They are almost 20 weeks. We tried everything but the two different groups will NOT get along. My husband is going to put a piece of slanted wood over the nesting boxes tomorrow, that should fix the problem. Fingers crossed but thought I would get any ideas you guys may have as well. We use to let the game fowl free ranged during the day until they started refusing to come in the coop at night. We locked'em up in there for a few days hoping to re-teach them that that was their home didn't work. They won't stop getting into our garden which is WAY too large to fence around. We haven't gotten a single ripe tomato, as everytime one starts to ripen. They were hollowing them out.. thanks in advance.

 

[ChickNanny13]

How about a poop board above the nest boxes and under the roost, if possible? Put PDZ in it or just scrape the poop, which is what I do. I got only 4 but it's still a daily scoop but the rest of the area is "clean". They roam my fenced yard when I'm home in the afternoons. The dog house is their nest box

 

[Howard E]

The slanted board above the nest boxes is the tried and true way of dealing with it. Too steep to sit on, plus it puts a roof or cover over the nest boxes, which gives it the appearance of being more secure. In general, when laying, chickens are trying to "hide" their eggs in a dark, secure, safe place thinking they will want to sit on and then hatch them. You, of course, come along and steal them, so they have to lay another the next day, and another and another, etc.

You may not want to fence the entire garden, perhaps just the tomatoes? A 50' roll of 48" high 2" x 4" wire runs about $25.

Or.......if there is lots of garden and you won't want them in there, yet, there is always the option of electric poultry netting. It is temp and will keep them inside an enclosure, or keep them out of one.

 

[MysteryChik]

The slanted board above the nest boxes is the tried and true way of dealing with it. Too steep to sit on, plus it puts a roof or cover over the nest boxes, which gives it the appearance of being more secure. In general, when laying, chickens are trying to "hide" their eggs in a dark, secure, safe place thinking they will want to sit on and then hatch them. You, of course, come along and steal them, so they have to lay another the next day, and another and another, etc.

You may not want to fence the entire garden, perhaps just the tomatoes? A 50' roll of 48" high 2" x 4" wire runs about $25.

Or.......if there is lots of garden and you won't want them in there, yet, there is always the option of electric poultry netting. It is temp and will keep them inside an enclosure, or keep them out of one.

problem with that is, our garden is approximately half the size of a football field and the tomatoes are spread throughout. unfortunately not all in one area :/ Def gonna do the slanted board today. thank you for the advice.

 

[MysteryChik]

How about a poop board above the nest boxes and under the roost, if possible? Put PDZ in it or just scrape the poop, which is what I do. I got only 4 but it's still a daily scoop but the rest of the area is "clean". They roam my fenced yard when I'm home in the afternoons. The dog house is their nest box

nice set up you have there! our yard is not fenced in, and our youngest chicks, are flyers. and good ones. Think we are going to have to clip their wings.

 

[Howard E]

In that case, if you want to pick a few tomato plants and salvage something from those, then the single wire cage idea may help. Just like a regular tomato cage, but larger in diameter......large enough to lift off for you, and also large enough in diameter, they can't reach through. For mine, 2" x 4" wire keeps them at bay.

So that is Pi......(3.14) x the diameter of the cage you want........say 4' diameter x 3.14 = 12.56'.......roughly 12.5 feet of wire.........so a 25' roll would get you a couple cages 4' in diameter.

Some of us are anal enough to go to that extreme to have some garden and the birds. Others will simply let them have it or pen them up completely. The choices we get to make.