Why don't you want them sleeping in the nest boxes?

[paynemom]

Rookie question, but is this a problem? Is it because you don't want them sleeping on the eggs? I am learning lots, but there is still tons more I don't know. Thanks for the help.

 

[speckledhen]

Because they poop all night long and then lay eggs in the poop. You need the nests clean for eggs or you'll always have messy, icky eggs to clean.

 

[crazychickens]

Chickens poop alot at night, if the poo in the nesting boxes, then your eggs will be covered in poop. yuk!

 

[paynemom]

Duh! Totally makes sense! Sorry! I have seen a big pile of poo where they sleep. Strange that they do that while asleep!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I have a few hens that, despite my best efforts, insist on sleeping in the nests. Yes, they poop. But I found that a 2-3" layer of pine shavings with a generous helping of hay on top is easy to keep clean. As long as they don't have diarrhea, if you lift the hay up you can just dump the poopies off. Every morning when I make my rounds, I check all 10 nests and dump out anything left from the night before. I change out the hay either when it gets mucked up, or every 2 weeks, whichever comes first.

 

[hcammack]

I GOT MY NEST BOXES TODAY FROM EGGCARTONS.COM !!!! ( I told that I was refered from BYC) I got the type that you can close so the hens can't get in ! NOW I JUST NEED EGGS !!!!!!!!!!!

Henry

 

[twigg]

I have a few hens that, despite my best efforts, insist on sleeping in the nests. Yes, they poop. But I found that a 2-3" layer of pine shavings with a generous helping of hay on top is easy to keep clean

You might want to fit night shutters over the front of te nestboxes for a few nights. They will roost where they habitually roost, so once they are on the perches they will generally return there.

Chickens seem to find good habits as hard to break as bad habits.

Just another thought. Straw might be better than hay in nestboxes. Hay has a tendency to harbour nasty moulds in a way that straw doesn't.

hth​