It is very strange...
There were definitely tunnels and some kind of critter nests
in the nest boxes
but there were no mouse or rat droppings.
Kristine thinks it might be a mole?
I hauled the straw bales out of the coop
and put them in the shed next to the bicycles.
I took all the old straw out of the next boxes
and put down a very thin layer of new straw.
I used all the old straw to line the new compost pile.
I put some straw on top to cover the soil
to help keep it from washing away in the rain.
I hope we get some rain!
The chickens had a good time
scratching up all the loose straw I dropped.
I'm only half way through cleaning out the coop.
Tomorrow, I'm going to move some things around, repair the floor,
and put up some new roosts.
I want to move out anything that a little critter can hide behind
so the chickens can see, find and catch them
for me... I don't want to set traps.
I'd much rather the chickens took care of the critter.
Kristine is right.
I had too much straw in the coop.
0 eggs
~:>
7 comments:
Another chore for you.
Hmm, I wonder what's tunnelling around in there?
We used the deep-litter method with wood shavings for our chickens and had our big clean-out in the fall. What a job! We throw the shavings down by the vegetable garden and the hens and ducks love pecking around in it when they're outside!
Never a fun job, but I'm sure they appreciate it.
Good luck on your critter search. My girls along with the cats seem to keep the mice under control.
Connie
Hope the girls corner the little stinker.
Lana
Worst job is cleaning the coop, we wear masks when we do ours. I usually only put straw in their nest boxes. It is about time for ours to get clean too!
More than likely a skunk stealing the chickens eggs. We have caught several in a humane trap Hav A Heart.
It does not harm the animal, and you just give him a new place to call home.
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