They keep overturning the nestboxes!

[WhySayWhat]

A straw bale with one tie cut is a great fun for the chickens as they tear it apart and spread it around.

This is actually on my list to get this weekend...Was thinking for out in the run, but maybe buy one for in and one for out?

 

[NatJ]

they've developed a love of playing "egg soccer" and broken several eggs while I'm redoing things. As soon as they get up, they start kicking the eggs around and trying to stand on them, they leave the ones alone that are in the nests. I tried having the front open, that seemed to make the soccer issue worse as they were going for the eggs in the open nest.

Yes, that does sound like a good reason to want the fronts of the nests closed.

Need to add some indoor boredom busters for winter...I'm open to suggestions!

Maybe a pile of dry leaves? Everything you might otherwise put in a compost pile? Chickens really love to scratch through things and look for little tidbits to eat, but plain wood shavings are not especially interesting for them. If you put in every chicken-safe thing that could possibly be composted, the chickens can have fun picking through it all winter, and next spring you can move it all outside to get wetter and actually compost (you could move it to the run, or to a separate compost pile at that point.)

Or, if you only want wood shavings because of how they behave for cleaning purposes, you could sprinkle a small amount of scratch grains for them to hunt for. You could even sprinkle it at night while they are sleeping, and rake it in, so they have more work digging it out. (The point is for them to find occasional little bits of food as they scratch, not to make a large change in their diet.)

 

[Ebony Rose]

A rubbermaid type tote, big enough for a few hens, that is half filled with construction grade sand (no dyes, not chemically washed) makes for an excellent bath. Bathing is often a social affair with chickens and offers a great diversion that helps them groom their skin and feathers.

 

[CNJ]

I made a bucket nest box and they use to kick out the pine shavings, so I bought a cheap nesting pad from ebay and they like it. I put 2 pan head screws on each side of the pad loosely, so I can take it out to clean. It keeps the pad secured and I think the pad is better than a slippery bucket with pine shavings.

 

[Aunt Angus]

A straw bale with one tie cut is a great fun for the chickens as they tear it apart and spread it around.

THIS! I found this out by accident. I use straw around their run in winter to help with drainage. I put the bale out and went to do other chores. When I came back, the WHOLE FLOCK was absolutely enamored with the bale. Kept them occupied for days - literally!

 

[WhySayWhat]

Sad for your leghorn, but your nest boxes seem much more secure! Way to problem solve!

She was going to town on the pile of cut straw I dumped for them last night, pretty sure she got into it with my top pullet, Peaches. Peaches is a bit of a well....naughty word.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Ideas.......View attachment 2897510View attachment 2897511View attachment 2897512

Nest boxes I'm good with...boredom busters are where I'm drawing a blank. My last flock was only 3 hens and they were kept where they could look in the house and never seemed to be bored. These gals seem to get bored daily and make trouble.

 

[Ebony Rose]

They're standing on the edge of the box and their weight is causing the box to flip over. Bet they're not very happy about that, and it can cause them to learn to 'hate' the box. If it were me, I'd put a concrete block in the bottom of the nest box and cover it with fresh bedding.

 

[NatJ]

That's it....teenage chooks are just a-holes.

They are just being chickens. I would think the problem was the way you had things set up (which you are working on fixing), not the chickens themselves. Adult hens would be just as bad, except that by the time they are full adults you will have solved the problems.

This morning, before 8am, they managed to flip the crate again and I watched the eggs in the nest go flying on the camera!

Were they sitting on the side, maybe trying to get into it?

they started laying next to the milk crate instead of in it, ugh.

I don't see why that's a problem, as long as it's neatly in the corner so the eggs don't get stepped on

I also (finally) screwed the wood panel in place across the door, it's been propped there since August, lol. Just 2 screws, easily moved for deep cleaning, but keeps the deep litter from coming out the door!

Yes, that is a very good idea. I think every coop with deep litter needs something like this!

Added another milk crate (upside down) to prevent the ground laying.

You could put an upside down milk crate against the wall, about a foot away from the corner. Then let them lay eggs between the crate and the wall. There would be nothing for them to flip over. Yes, it would be on the ground, but as long as the eggs are clean and unbroken that should not matter.

If you do want them to lay inside a box or crate at ground level, I think you should have an opening in the front of it, instead of the top. I don't see any way they can get into that crate without sitting on the edge (which tips it over) or sitting on the upside down crate (which wasn't there yesterday.)

 

[CNJ]

Now...they're overturning the nest box that the majority of them use! What the heck?!

I think you have to secure it to the wall or screw it to a wooden frame. I use a piece of 2x4 under the front and back of my bucket and place a 2x4 across on both side and then I screw a 2x4 across the front 2x4. I also screw the bucket to the frame. They can't flip it........and they can't sit on top the bucket without sliding off, so they never do.