She's not looking, quick...!

[pipscariad]

My gals have started serious chucking out of nestbox material, and it's driving me crazy! Day before yesterday I cleaned it all out and put a lovely thick layer of woodshavings in the nestbox. No sooner had I moved away than Snowdrop rushed past me, into the coop, and then I saw woodshavings flying all over the place! She came out with what can only be descibed as a cheeky expression on her face and sauntered past me... I checked the nest box... hardly anything left in it, and loads of lovely clean shavings under the roosting bars, where I don't want it! I wouldn't mind too much, but the girls are now laying in an almost empty nestbox, which is all messy as one of them always roosts in there, so the eggs are all filthy (although the poop's still in there, it's never as bad with shavings in too).

If I changed over to straw d'you think the problem would be as bad? Or should I just chill?! I have to say Snowdrops face was such a picture that it's almost worth doing just for that!

[tlck9]

Mine do exactly that, however what I have taken to doing is slide a piece of paper under the chippings and added a slightly thicker layer of them with some hay/straw, this way they push that out and at least some of the bedding is left.

I just pick it up the next morning and brush it all back into the nest boxes again, and do the same, keep topping it as mine seem to only kick 3/4 out. If I put in a thinner layer, it was out within seconds.

[RichmondHens]

Are they doing it because in this wet cold weather there is nowhere else dry enough to dustbathe? My bantams started doing this during all the snow (never done it before as used to have access to dry barns but are now penned up due to too much laying away) and I came to the conclusion that as they couldn't scratch about where they normally go as it was under snow and ice they did it in the nestbox. Since the snow went they are back to normal again and the nestbox untouched (save for laying in it of course!).

[Glutton4...]

One of mine started nesting in the shavings bag this morning - I wouldn't mind, but I was trying to empty the bag at the time. When I evicted her, the cheeky wotsit even had the nerve to walk off picking up bits of shavings and straw and putting them on her back as she walked!

I've recently changed to a product called something like 'Easy-Bed.' It's chopped straw and shavings mixed, and spreads further than shavings, it rots down more quickly too. It's also medicated and smells of citrus, which is a vast improvement on Chook poo aroma!

[Flummery]

I use Easibed. I wouldn't like to say they couldn't chuck it around if determined, but they don't seem to.

[Eco-Chic]

Mine have shavings in the nest box and the coop. I like to bank it up all nice at the front and sides. They like to check that I've done it properly and then kick it out of the nest box and mess up my tidy banks until there is a thin layer on the floor, loads in my face and a fair bit on the floor outside the coop.