Strangest thing you have found in a nest box?

[Lionrose]

The cleaning the chicken house thread reminded me of what we found when we cleaned ours last week. I was shocked!

Got a couple hens that want to be broody so had to run them out of the nest box before moving it out for cleaning. As I was moving it a hen I didn’t see on the bottom row came running out complaining, I apologized for interrupting her and proceeded to move the nest box out in the yard.

I was taking the nesting material out of it and the bottoms for cleaning got to the nest the hen I didn’t see was in trying to lay. Reached in started taking the hay out etc…once I removed some hay it exposed a nest of baby mice!!! They weren’t newborn either for they wasn’t pink but had a little bit of hair on um, 6 of them! I couldn’t believe it, chickens eat mice and baby mice. The hen had been in that box laying and others too, it’s a favorite. I get 3-4 eggs out of that box daily. I was so shocked and in disbelief.

How could they not know they were there? I am still shocked and can’t believe it.

Threw them and another nest of babies we found under the nest box out in the yard and called the chickens. They came running and ate um all up in nothing flat.

D

[MO_cows]

Worst thing I found was a possum. Was gathering eggs in the dark after work one night. Thankfully I shined the flashlight in there before I stuck my hand in and got bit.

[lauriej57]

Last summer, my broody raised her chicks in my broody area, along with a mama mouse and her babies. I took care of the mice, took me a week to get them all, but couldn't believe that she didn't take care of them.

I have a raised coop, with doors that open to the back, and I keep my tools behind the nest box, putty knife for when the bedding jams the door, my small pitchfork type thing to stir the bedding, and a few other various things. My chickens steal my tools, hide them in the bedding, sometimes I don't find them until I do my 2 or 3 times a year good cleaning.

I found a plastic bag in there today, have no idea where it came from, not a bag that we've ever used, and too big I would think, to blow through the fencing.

[HeelSpur]

A couple years ago I had trouble with hornets and had no idea where their nest was, I found it one day gathering eggs. It was the size of a tennis ball up on the ceiling of the box. I never got stung, but I'm surprized the chix would even lay in that nest.

[salmonslayer91]

Originally Posted by HeelSpur

A couple years ago I had trouble with hornets and had no idea where their nest was, I found it one day gathering eggs. It was the size of a tennis ball up on the ceiling of the box. I never got stung, but I'm surprized the chix would even lay in that nest.

im sure they were snacking the whole time

[KSALguy]

before the great massacre i had pigeons in with the chickens, they pigeons would make use of any box not normally used by the chickens, they way a pigeon builds a nest makes a layer of pine needles and sticks and such to lay their eggs on, then the baby pigeons create a layer of poop that becomes something like cement, all the nesting material sealed underneath, i have cleaned many nestboxes out that has a platform of poop some how held up with mouse tunnels all under it, and then a couple times i have found a pigeon nest where the pair have been setting and out pops a baby chicken, of corse the pigeons cant feed the baby chick but they sure try,