Training Chickens

Before last week, I'd have thought that training chickens would be akin to herding cats.  Turns out, though, that I was wrong.

Our wagon came equipped with 10 nesting boxes affixed to an inside wall.  Our backyard chickens always kept their nesting boxes very clean, so we were surprised to see that these 10 boxes were loaded with chicken poo when we got the wagon.  We gave everything a thorough cleaning the first day, and then, the first night realized what was going on.  

When we got to the wagon to close the ladies up for the night, we found that nearly half the flock was piled into the nesting boxes to roost for the night.  No wonder there were so many droppings in there!  

We moved each chicken over to the roosting poles in the wagon and "closed up" the boxes with the manufacturer-provided closure.  Like this:

Only, there was still too much space at the top, and the hens could still get in.  It was time to get creative.  I designed these straps using wide elastic and rings from the hardware store and installed hooks to connect them to (yea!  Another chance to use the drill I got for my birthday!).  They create just enough of a barrier to discourage roosting in the boxes.  

Our new routine is that once I get the kids picked up from school, we drive over to the farm.  During this time of the year, the gals are finished laying by that time.  We gather eggs, close the boxes, and affix our straps, and come nightfall . . . .

Everyone is roosting on the roosting poles!  

As I read back over this, I'm realizing. . . maybe we haven't trained the chickens at all.

Maybe they've trained us!  So long as we follow our routine of barricading the nesting boxes at night, the boxes should stay pretty clean.  And clean nesting boxes mean clean eggs!