The Old Folks Home

[hennible]

rant time -   Grrrrrrr... Not sure which one, but at least one and possibly as many as three of my buff orps think they are sea turtles... they INSIST on burying their eggs in the coop litter instead of using the nest boxes I so graciously provided them. Could it be because I'm using deep litter and it's "warmer" than the straw in the nest boxes? I'm almost afraid of what's going to happen once the runs are finished and they can go outside and up under the coop... I am NOT looking forward to trying to retrieve eggs from under there as it's 6 feet wide by 10 feet deep and has buried hardware cloth around the 3 sides not open to the run...

It seems they also like to eat the straw from the nest boxes... when I check them in the evenings they have full/hard crops and the straw from the nest boxes slowly gets "chewed up" and disappears... It seems my white wyandottes like to eat the nest box straw as well. They all chow down in the am when I bring them their FF, eat all of it over the course of the day and none of them seem ill or worse off from their dietary supplement, but it concerns me a bit.

Any ideas how to get the girls to use the nest boxes (more regularly)? Thoughts/comments on potential dietary issues that might be causing the silly things to be eating the straw?  OK, nuff about chickens, back to the normal ebb and flow in TOFH

Funny a few of my brahmas, a buff Orpington and one or two EE keep laying in the poop tray... Have you tried fake eggs?

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks CC. I've never done the sprouting/fodder thing but will give that a try here shortly. Where do you/I get the seed to sprout, and the trays to do the sprouting in? And I guess I'll have to search for "how to" threads here to learn how it's done. They are eating straw... not hay. A neighbor lady has brought them over hay/alfalfa mix before (she has 3 horses) and they ate that as well. Maybe I'll ask her for some more of that to throw in the coops with them.

The coops are set up with the front windows (2) in each coop facing directly east and a 3rd window facing south. I can't really add any more windows for light... I have an extension cord laying on the ground out to them right now to provide power to the water heaters (4), but don't really feel safe adding any additional load to that circuit with/for lights...

Thanks for the fake egg link. I think I'll buy a dozen or so then put a couple in each nest box (16 total).

 

[perchie.girl]

rant time -

Grrrrrrr... Not sure which one, but at least one and possibly as many as three of my buff orps think they are sea turtles... they INSIST on burying their eggs in the coop litter instead of using the nest boxes I so graciously provided them. Could it be because I'm using deep litter and it's "warmer" than the straw in the nest boxes? I'm almost afraid of what's going to happen once the runs are finished and they can go outside and up under the coop... I am NOT looking forward to trying to retrieve eggs from under there as it's 6 feet wide by 10 feet deep and has buried hardware cloth around the 3 sides not open to the run...

It seems they also like to eat the straw from the nest boxes... when I check them in the evenings they have full/hard crops and the straw from the nest boxes slowly gets "chewed up" and disappears... It seems my white wyandottes like to eat the nest box straw as well. They all chow down in the am when I bring them their FF, eat all of it over the course of the day and none of them seem ill or worse off from their dietary supplement, but it concerns me a bit.

Any ideas how to get the girls to use the nest boxes (more regularly)? Thoughts/comments on potential dietary issues that might be causing the silly things to be eating the straw? OK, nuff about chickens, back to the normal ebb and flow in TOFH

You might try shavings in the nest boxes instead of straw.... thats what i used....

deb

 

[Latestarter]

Mornin' Hennible:

At least in/on a poop tray they should be readily apparent/visible... It's amazing how well they blend in with the litter, and that's when they aren't virtually completely buried

I found one this am when I was feeding them with just a small bit of shell showing at the surface, just behind the feeding trough... When I dug it out it was cold, and I swear it wasn't there last night, although it may/must have been, just completely buried at that time. They must have moved just enough litter this morning when fighting for position at the feed trough, that it became visible to me. It wouldn't be such a big issue except that night temps are below freezing, so if I can't tell if the egg froze, I can't really sell it and have to set it aside for animal food.

I'm gonna order and try some fake eggs in the nest boxes and may cut up an old bed sheet to make curtains to further darken the nest boxes some. Right now they are open to the coops so maybe making them a little darker inside will help lure the layers to use them.

Thanks

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks Deb... I have one more bale of straw to use up, then I think I'll give the shaving a try in the nest boxes. If it doesn't work, I can just take them out and add them to the coop litter. Maybe I'll put one of those plastic/foam pads in the bottom of the nest boxes... Has anyone tried that or is anyone doing that? If so, how's it working?

 

[hennible]

Latestarter there are a few ways to tell if an egg is frozen... We eat the frozen ones... When it was -30C I couldn't get out fast enough to get any that hadn't froze...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have found that a single fake egg in each nest is sufficient but more wouldn't hurt.

For nests, I've used dried long grass, straw, shavings, excelsior pads and plastic pads.

I liked the excelsior best and so did the hens but if they break an egg or poop in there it's a bit of a problem. They're thick enough that you can pull some of the soiled stuff out but eventually need to be replaced. I just went to the plastic so they'd be washable. The hens seem to be ok with them except if you have a broody on shavings or excelsior and you move her to a plastic pad she'll abandon the eggs. At least that's my experience.

Sounds like your window placement is good. Once you can get them into the run, I think your life will improve - as will theirs.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Latestarter there are a few ways to tell if an egg is frozen... We eat the frozen ones... When it was -30C I couldn't get out fast enough to get any that hadn't froze...

If I suspect they're frozen, a warm bath should show the cracks. If they're frozen, I put them in the freezer till I'm ready to use them.

And Latestarter, X2 on not selling frozen eggs.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Many feed stores will carry feed type grains that you can use for sprouting. Don't buy the type for planting or they'll be treated with fungicides or whatever.

I get all my feed grains and the rest of the seeds I sprout from my feed wholesaler/coop fairy.
I've sprouted wheat, barley, buckwheat, field peas and BOSS.
The trays are available at some big box hardware stores, garden centers and Hummert's international. http://www.hummert.com/
Fortunately their headquarters are close to my house.

 

[chickadoodles]

Latestarter I found some good trays for sprouting at the dollar store.