nesting boxes and poo (total beginner)

flea · « **on:** November 09, 2008, 21:15 »

by birds keep perching on their nesting boxes overnight, and obviously keep pooping in them, so i tend to change the straw quite often. but my FIL says you shouldnt need to change the straw that often, only a couple of times a year?

even if they werent pooing in the straw, that still seems a long time to me, to be using the same straw.

also, what time of day do hens lay? i had thought about covering the nesting boxes, but if they lay in the early morning, then they will have nowhere to go

im also a bit unsure about my coop. its wooden, and the floor of it is wet every morning, i dont know if rains getting in (cant see any wet other than the floor) or do chickens wee? Also the nesting boxes are about 12" off the floor, and perches a bit higher, which means they are about 12" from the roof/ventilation hole. Is this the right layout for a coop

Hens are yet to lay, but as they are just over 20wks im hoping its not too far off, they are Welsummers

Flea

meterman · « **Reply #1 on:** November 09, 2008, 21:26 »

Hi best way is to put a sloped roof onto the nest box to stop them pearching, hens lay aprox every 25 hours so if on day 1 lays egg at 9am then day 2=10am day 3=11am etc

agapanthus · « **Reply #2 on:** November 09, 2008, 21:35 »

We usually clean out every three weeks.......I think waiting a year would be just a bit stinky!!!!!!!! :shock:

Vember · « **Reply #3 on:** November 09, 2008, 21:38 »

Hi Flea

Welcome to the Hen House

I pick up the worst of the poops daily and then do a total clean out at least once a month - depending on the time of year.

Is it possible to physically lift them on to the perches at night if you do that for a bit then they should get the idea :?

Sarah

richyrich7 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 09, 2008, 21:46 »

Hi Flea welcome to the forums

I assume your talking about changing the nest box straw ? I do mine every 3 months or so there's really no need to do it more often the birds should not be allowed to poo or sleep in there.

Like meterman says put a steeply sloping roof on them to stop that game

Your layout seems to be about right by your description.

Now the floor, how does the coop sit on the ground ? does it sit direct ? then if so I think it is damp coming up through the timbers and you will need to raise the coop up 6inchs at least to keep damp and vermin away.

Chickens don't wee like we do, the white stuff on their poo is wee solids

flea · « **Reply #5 on:** November 10, 2008, 20:17 »

Quote from: "richyrich7"

Now the floor, how does the coop sit on the ground ? does it sit direct ? then if so I think it is damp coming up through the timbers and you will need to raise the coop up 6inchs at least to keep damp and vermin away

the coop is about 18" off the ground.

first of all i thought it was rain blowing/running in where the floor joins the sides, so we put a felt flap over this join, but its still getting wet. My next though is its somehow blowing in, under the door flap on the back (where i can acccess the nest boxes), but again thats got a felt flat on it.

i dont think the rain could be blowing in the ventilation strip at the top, as the birds and nesting boxes would be wet too

maybe through the dobby(?) hole on the front, but the floors wettest, at the back of the coop, not at the front where the hole is

im thinking this is gonna take some detective work, with alot of possible remedies in the meantime

however, will get FIL to put in a nice catslide, so the birds have to perch elsewhere

Flea

richyrich7 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 10, 2008, 20:24 »

Quote from: "flea"

Quote from: "richyrich7"
Now the floor, how does the coop sit on the ground ? does it sit direct ? then if so I think it is damp coming up through the timbers and you will need to raise the coop up 6inchs at least to keep damp and vermin away

the coop is about 18" off the ground.

Well that blew that idea out of the water

Let us know if you find out and I bet the girls will love the cat slide

Sheriff Sprout · « **Reply #7 on:** November 10, 2008, 21:26 »

I put newspaper under the straw it makes cleaning a little easier I also clean out quite regularly to keep the birds nice and healthy:D
plus it gives the girls something to read whilst laying

Ange&John · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2008, 11:22 »

Hi: we had a similar problem, damp patches on floor, eventually found it was knot holes in the roof leaking through. Fortunately, found them before the chooks moved in, so sealed them up.

Fire2920 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2008, 07:43 »

I have the same problem with the poo on the boxes so will put the slopping lid on them too,
I did have the problem of the wet floor but, I found that to be the way i'd built the coop,I'd rested the sides on to the floor and not overlapped them down past it, the rain ran down the sides then soaked through under the sides along the floor :oops:

upert · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2008, 21:18 »

i let mine sleep in their nest boxes and we all seem fine with it.

Tinkers · « **Reply #11 on:** November 14, 2008, 11:22 »

Our three sleep in their nest boxes but are always on the perch by the time I come to let them out in the morning.

We get a few poops in the nest boxes but it only takes a min to pick them out each day. We tend to change the straw in the main part of the coop weekly but the next boxes every couple of weeks or so, depending on the chickies really and how much they have decided to poop in them

karlooben · « **Reply #12 on:** November 14, 2008, 17:39 »

mine sleep anywhere they want ,. but they never lay in the nest boxes.

my most brillant neighbur made my nest boxes on slopping slats an that aer about 2 foot of the ground with little wooden light flaps at the back so the eggs roll away an get hiden in another compartment but will they lay in them an use them ohhhhhhh no so that was a total waste of time but seing about 13 girls sleeping in 6 nest boxes in the morning is pretty funny . as for the bedding i use old stable foam mats cut to size i lift them out wipe them clean of loads of poo an they all clean ,. as for the straw elsewhere that is replaced once or twice a week.

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nesting boxes and poo (total beginner)

Vember