Newbie - maybe a stupid question!

scooter · « **on:** August 09, 2008, 10:40 »

This might be a stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyway :oops:
Does the hen house need any bedding in?
I obviously put bedding in the nest boxes (using wood shavings at the mo) but what about the floor of the house? I have been using straw for the floor but the chooks seem to like to lay in it (only had a few tiny eggs so far

) and they like to sleep on the floor, even though I regularly put them on the perches each night. They are only young birds so are probably learning as they go along.
My thinking was that if I don't use anything it would encourage them to use the nest box to lay and to use the perches at night.

Vember · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2008, 10:48 »

Hi Scooter

Welcome to the Hen House,
there aint no such thing as a stupid question here

I tend to use sawdust on the floor of my coop, the poop clumps in that making it easy to keep tidy

Then some people put a bit of straw in the nest boxes

Keep trying to get them to perch if you can it's better for them, although I do have a couple that sleep in the nest boxes and I move their poops every morning

Hope that's some help, I'm sure others will be along in a bit to let you know what they do

Vember

Theresia · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2008, 13:44 »

Hi,
I use wood shavings on the floor sprinkled with lice powder my girls love to take a dust bath in the fresh stuff.
Straw in nest boxes powder sprinkled as well, you could try a false egg in each box to encourage them to lay in them or get a couple of eggs and hard boil them make good subs.
They will get the idea of roosting just takes time, try low perches or try cardboard boxes for them to hop on about 6-8 inches high.

poultrygeist · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2008, 16:09 »

Snap. Shavings on floor, straw in nestbox. Dust powdered too.

2 or 3 of ours don't perch for some reason. But they do sleep in different places each night and we poo pick most days so not a problem as far as I know.

Rob

scooter · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2008, 19:03 »

I might try it the other way around, like the suggestions.......straw in the nest box, shavings on the floor.
I have a couple of ceramic eggs in the nest box and we had another 'real' one today when we came back from shopping

richyrich7 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2008, 19:40 »

Straw and shavings, even the chippings from the chainsaw goes onthe floor of mine, Straw and a little shavings in the nest box.

They like a darkish place to lay eggs might be worth hanging up some sacking strips over the front of the nest box to make it a little darker.

chickchick · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2008, 20:46 »

should i get lice powder? i have red mite powder and poultry shield just in case

mickwood · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2008, 21:17 »

I have the same problem, the girls want to sleep in the nest box. So...I put a piece of cardboard up to block it off at night. It seems to work.

Shavings on the floor of the coop - straw in the nest boxes!

Theresia · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2008, 21:32 »

lice powder is cheep just keeps them at bay? any little helps.

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Newbie - maybe a stupid question!

Vember

poultrygeist