The Trap Nesting Thread

[knjinnm]

To give the birds something to do try digging up the run so they dust and search for bugs, worms etc.
Take a look at https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them/6130#post_15866108, most people are using plastic buckets to feed large flock such as yours.

 

[123farm]

To give the birds something to do try digging up the run so they dust and search for bugs, worms etc.
Take a look at https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them/6130#post_15866108, most people are using plastic buckets to feed large flock such as yours.

Thank you! I will check it out now

 

[jbkirk]

At the moment I'm a long distance truck driver ... We need to move to a new location to have chickens, so I'm in the research mode, getting new ideas ... I raised both meaties and layer chickens in my teen years as a source of money as a country boy ... Then in my early twenties meaties for my sled dog team for winter food ...

I'm currently laid over in OH ... Dropped yesterday at noon, but my next load doesn't pick up until tonight! So I have the time ...


I sent MANOZ a pm, hoping he would give us an update ...

@MANOZ hasn't been on for more than two years.

 

[123RedBeard]

At the moment I'm a long distance truck driver ... We need to move to a new location to have chickens, so I'm in the research mode, getting new ideas ... I raised both meaties and layer chickens in my teen years as a source of money as a country boy ... Then in my early twenties meaties for my sled dog team for winter food ...


I'm currently laid over in OH ... Dropped yesterday at noon, but my next load doesn't pick up until tonight! So I have the time ...



I sent MANOZ a pm, hoping he would give us an update ...

@MANOZ
hasn't been on for more than two years.

Yeah, I know ... I read that back in post # 466 ... I read the whole thread!

That is why I sent him a pm ... Hoping that he would get an email notice of the pm, and give us an update ...

 

[123farm]

It took me a bit to make time for this, but I have made one well working trap door with my existing coop. The boxes are 11.5" wide and talk and about 14" deep. I made my door 10x10" with the split at 3". I used a suggestion from Storey's "Raising Chickens" book and fashioned a hook out of heavy gauge wire that the hens disengage with their tail when they enter. It's a tight fit, but they aren't scared of it so that's good! Need to make 11 more now.

 

[knjinnm]

Please post a picture of the hook. What is the small piece of plywood nailed across the upright for?

 

[123RedBeard]

What is the small piece of plywood nailed across the upright for?

It is a door stop, as the door is narrower than box, it does not allow the door to swing out, only in ...

 

[123farm]

Please post a picture of the hook. What is the small piece of plywood nailed across the upright for?

It's to keep them from pushing the door open since I didn't want to go through the effort of adding edges to all the nesting boxes. It has 1 nail through the middle so i can rotate it and open the door. I'll try to get a picture of the hook. I drilled a small hole through the top of the box and bent the wire on one end after I put it through the hole so it holds into place and can be easily removed later.

 

[jbkirk]

It's to keep them from pushing the door open since I didn't want to go through the effort of adding edges to all the nesting boxes. It has 1 nail through the middle so i can rotate it and open the door. I'll try to get a picture of the hook. I drilled a small hole through the top of the box and bent the wire on one end after I put it through the hole so it holds into place and can be easily removed later.

Glad you found a solution

 

[123farm]

Please post a picture of the hook. What is the small piece of plywood nailed across the upright for?

There are the hooks. They are very long so the chicken pushes it when she enters the nest. Once released, the door rests on her tail until she turns and settles. Occasionally they get spooked by the door touching their back and they back out of the nest, which just results in a closed door, with no occupant. I don't want them to get stressed so I check on them every 20-30 minutes. It's been fun to do this and totally worth the intensive effort of visiting the coop every 30 minutes for 9 hours a day. I am on my 4th out of 5 planned days of tagging and I have been very surprised by the results. Over half of my hens aren't laying at all, and the ones that are laying, several are laying two eggs per day (pulling the weight for the others!). Some of the hens that aren't very old are early molters and stopped laying already for this year also. It's no wonder our food costs are so high. To break even, we have to sell a dozen eggs for $6. That doesn't even include labor costs!