Community Nest Boxes - Let me see 'em!

[Pepper03]

What kind of a chicken is that

 

[Kirklandchick]

We originally had 2 plastic dish tubs as our nesting boxes inside the nesting box with no divider between, but it seemed like most of them preferred to use the same side and we kept finding eggs in front of and in between the tubs because they tried squeezing on the same side. The final straw was when one day I came home from work and one of the tubs was propped up kinda funny, and there was an egg (not broken!) underneath it! The tubs came out and it became a full community nest for our 6 hens. Here are some pics:




Only a few times since removing the tubs a couple months ago have there been eggs on the left side, they all seem to prefer the right corner for some reason.

 

[Jakoda]

this is my new roost/poopboard/ nesting box combo I designed and husband just built for me for my new barn..The dividers can be removed, and I may do that, since mine seem to clump into one or two boxes they have now

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote:

What kind of a chicken is that

Hi Pepper,

If you go back to your post, you can edit it by clicking on the little pencil icon in the lower left next to the red flag. To get rid of the duplicate Quotes and pictures, click on them then do Control (Windows) or Command (Mac) then x.

I see over in the new member into forum you asked:
"Do any of you have a mix that you make for scratch or do you buy the already made? Wondering which is better for them."

Since that is over a month old, I'll just answer here

I've had chickens for all of approaching 7 months and have only used Poulin Feeds (Vermont family run business) for regular food. In the summer they ate whatever they found outside in addition to their "always available" food. They are eating a LOT MORE "always available" food now that there is nothing to find out in the snow and it is cold. They also get Black Oil Sunflower Seed BOSS) as a treat that they LOVE . They get some scratch (also from Poulin) before roost time but I just started that as the weather temps dropped. On really cold mornings they sometimes get hot oatmeal with beef fat cooked in (got that off the Old Timers thread) and BOSS. And sometimes pumpkin. I froze the Halloween jack-o-lanterns in chunks, and bake it to thaw and provide warm treats. But they aren't as excited about that as some peoples' chickens.

As for "make your own" or " buy commercial" being better for the birds? I don't know. I suppose if you had the time and knowledge, you could make up some super good chicken food. I have neither.

Good luck with your chickens. I've really enjoy mine.

this is my new roost/poopboard/ nesting box combo I designed and husband just built for me for my new barn..The dividers can be removed, and I may do that, since mine seem to clump into one or two boxes they have now

Pretty snazzy Diane! How are the roosts going to be attached?

Since creating my externally mounted community nest box posted on 11/13, I have created an interior divided box as well. I had put a corner grain bin up near the circulating heated water (nipple in pipe system) with a loop in the bin and shavings on top. Hoping to keep eggs from freezing *. A couple of girls seemed to prefer that to the dark community and when the nipples on the exposed pipe started freezing in < 10F temp, I made a radiant floor 3 nest divided open box which also enclosed the pipe in rigid insulation. Same girls that liked the bin like the divided boxes. Others are using it as well. Some still go to the community. To each their own I guess

So you might try installing it with 1 divider removed and see how the girls use it, then adjust.

* Haven't had a problem with eggs freezing yet, even in the community box. But we have been able to collect several times a day. I have NO idea how long it takes an egg to freeze at various temperatures.

Bruce

 

[Jakoda]

haven't found any frozen ones yet either, but I check 3 or more times a day ..

The left side of the 'table' will abutt a wall as will the back part of it..most likely will just put a roost on a block on each end
Diane

 

[chickenchacha]

Wow, I have an old tool box not being used and need more nests... bingo!

 

[CrosStitching]

It's still a work in progress, but thanks to all the helpful info on this page and seeing how a friend keeps her chicks, I'm going to go divider free on this box. The box is 11" x 29" and I'll have a max of four hens sharing it. I'm going to hinge the roof and leave the front wall open instead of "tunneling" it. It's far to hot in Central Florida to be in a sealed up box long enough to lay an egg. Hopefully, I won't have any problems with egg eating. Only time will tell.

 

[bruceha2000]

It's far to hot in Central Florida to be in a sealed up box long enough to lay an egg. Hopefully, I won't have any problems with egg eating. Only time will tell.

Not a bad plan, some of the girls don't take much time, but others are in there for a half hour or more. And you can always add dividers later if it seems necessary. If that is your final design, I would suggest making the board in the front taller. You want several inches of nesting material and they will dig around in it, tossing a lot out if the "lip" isn't several inches higher than the nest material.

I've not had any egg eaters. I think it is relatively uncommon.

 

[CrosStitching]

Not a bad plan, some of the girls don't take much time, but others are in there for a half hour or more. And you can always add dividers later if it seems necessary. If that is your final design, I would suggest making the board in the front taller. You want several inches of nesting material and they will dig around in it, tossing a lot out if the "lip" isn't several inches higher than the nest material.

I've not had any egg eaters. I think it is relatively uncommon.

It's hard to tell from that angle, but the board is about 5" high. Is that still too short do you think?

 

[bruceha2000]

It's hard to tell from that angle, but the board is about 5" high. Is that still too short do you think?

I'd go 8". I had about 4" on my "open" 3 bay nest box and they flipped a lot out so I put another 4" board on. Though, if they make a mess, they make a mess, it isn't critical

And you can always add it later if you think it necessary, as I did.

For what ever reason, several of mine dig around until they hit the plywood bottom of the box. You'd think they would want SOME soft material under the eggs. I don't know if they want more depth or want to know there is something solid under them (which there obviously is since they don't fall through). But they are chickens, not all that logical.

Bruce