unforseen problem

[raine]

hi- lets see if anyone has any ideas on my newest problem! Had chickens since Feb all going well (despite hiccups and only thanks to all you out there) but now the nights are drawing in I find that I'm not home quick enough to remove eggs before they go in to roost so things are getting mucky and eggs smashed! So far I'm just moving girls around and pooper scooping by torchlight but I'm sure that this is stressful. Any ideas anyone-please!

[Bramble-Poultry]

are your perches higher in level than the nest box? Usually, when a chicken goes to roost, it will choose the highest spot it can find, therefore if you place your perches higher than the nest box, they should - in theory - lay the eggs in the boxes but prefer to roost on the perches. this should keep them above the eggs and hopefully stop them smashing them by sleeping on them.

[Nicos]

My nest boxes are covered- so they actually have to clamber in to lay.
They're actually small cardboard boxes under a shelf..and then at night they jump onto the shelf and scuttle along the perches nearby.
Perhaps if the boxes are covered over then you'd be OK??

urmm..they're not actually sleeping in the nesting boxes are they?...just pooing down into them???

[RichmondHens]

If they are sleeping in the nest boxes I'm afraid you have to get tough with them and push them out. Also block off the nest boxes so no access at night. if they are roosting higher but just pooing in them then sounds like a badly designed hen house as they should be able to roost without soiling the nestbox. If the latter then you will have to re-think your perches.