The Trap Nesting Thread

[knjinnm]

I'm working on the petition.
The neighbors have already gone to the city council meeting and claimed they can't hear the roosters.
I'm on just under an acre. One side of me is a 4 acre field. Behind me is over 20 acres of forest. The other side is a family on 3 acres who are the ones that said they didn't know I had chickens until I told them.
Over the hill across the field is a lady on over 20 acres who told me she only hears them when she's outside and she loves hearing them because it reminds her of her childhood. She was also planning on getting chickens. She has 2 barns.

ChickenCanoe,
Have you been to the city council yet?

 

[Jeanette56]

Galanie,
I really like the modification on the doors. In our Texas heat I think the wire door just makes good sense.
I have looked for ideas on trap nesting before but had not really found one that I could easily understand how to build. This Belgian style seems to be the easiest.
Manoz if you see this post

I want you to know how much I have appreciated and enjoyed this thread. It will be a little while before I can get DH to help me make some but I am very excited about the prospect of being able to finally do some trap-nesting!

Well here she is, along with an idea I had for a door. Ran out of thin plywood and I was looking around for something to use when I spotted some old shelves from a grocery store display. Out comes the angle grinder lol. Don't know how this will work but I'm going to find out. The holes in the wire measure 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 so I figure I don't need to cut out any holes.


Found some handles in the garage and stuck one on there. This is much lighter than my first one and I'm really happy with it. The girls are too! They almost instantly preferred the new one over the old but are using both.

Now to put the door back on the first one and get to trap nesting!

 

[galanie]

Thanks Jeanette! Yes, my first concern with these trap nests was ventilation. While I was using the solid door, the weather was nice. The wire door was an accidental discovery. I didn't realize that it would be best for the heat until after I'd done it LOL. At the moment I don't have a rooster and already know all I need to know for now about how each is laying so I'm not trapping. But they're laying in the trap nests w/out doors installed. It won't be any trouble to put the doors back on and resume trapping when I'm ready. I also need to build another one.

 

[Jeanette56]

I found this article last night while doing a search for more trapnest information. It was written in 1922 and very much advocates the use of trapnesting for improving the breed. I think you all will appreciate the information in it.

http://chickenhistorynow.blogspot.com/

 

[Arielle]

Janette-- great read. Love the site-- full of very interested resources to read thru.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

ChickenCanoe,
Have you been to the city council yet?

Multiple times. In fact, we packed city hall at the next 3 meetings after the initial letter. We had many speakers; myself, resident chicken owners, chicken owners from other local cities, random non chicken residents, my neighbors. All speaking on my behalf and in defense of chicken ownership.

 

[FiveMoreMiles]

By trapping the hen in the nest do the eggs stay warm?
I want to start incubating in February
but the high temp is only 28 on most days.
I am looking for a way to keep the eggs warm and fertile with out heating the barn.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

An egg is no longer viable for hatching when it gets to 29.6 degrees.
The eggs will stay warm while she's on the nest but will soon start to develop and that's not good either. I think any length of time over 80 and incubation begins.
You don't mean to keep her trapped all day do you?

 

[galanie]

Yes, if trap nesting you have to be around to check on them and let them out as they need. You can't leave for work and let them out when you come home. Being around and letting them out within an hour or less of laying will guarantee they don't get too cold I'd bet.

 

[FiveMoreMiles]

I am self employed. I work on my ranch so checking the trap nest would not be a problem.
I have found that the fertility rate drops in my eggs when the temp drops below 38.
three weeks ago the temp was 40 + and the eggs i collected had a 74% fertility.
the batch of eggs i started last week was under 52 % the temp was 34.
that is why i was wondering if the hen would keep the eggs warm while she was in the tarp.