The Trap Nesting Thread

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Hi,
I'm enjoying reading your thread, it sounds like a lot of fun! I like gadgets and data even if it's just for my own quirky curiosity sometimes. But I have a really easy way of keeping track of who, when, and how many. Every chicken in my flock lays a different color of egg! How's that for clever?

The secret is.... I have only three hens!

Thanks for the fun info. and entertaining posts!

 

[MANOZ]

hi carolynF----thanx for posting glad i could bring some enjoyment to your day. different colored eggs for each bird,..............[shaking head up and down] lol yeah that would simplify things

 

[triplepurpose]

Hi MANOZ, thanks so much for all this thorough, detailed info. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, but haven't got around to researching designs and building anything. I really like your setup though, and after reading through, I've decided to build something like it soon. I have a very mixed flock of different ages, breeds, plus some second and third generation "mutts," and I definitely need to do a bit of culling, figure out what's going on with the laying, etc. I also have some hens in the younger generation who have apparently inherited the blue egg gene from their half Ameraucana father--but I still haven't discovered who they are! One hen from that hatch has the Ameraucana ear muffs, so I assumed she might be one of them, but there must be another without external easter-egger features laying blue as well because I've often found two blue eggs on the same day (and they are differently shaped to boot). A trap nest would solve the mystery once and for all! And then I could really start selecting with confidence...

I'll keep you posted when I get my nests set up, but I don't know when that will be--hopefully soon...

Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work!

 

[MANOZ]

galanie-----this is a pic showing the board used to make a little step,its 1/2 inch and that 1/2 inch made the difference. it was enough to raise the bird up just enough to make the door function

added a door knob to open easier

 

[Aussie Bill]

I find this very interesting ... but it doesn't solve my problem which is having a hen who wants to roost in the nesting box and none of the three ladies doing their duty, that is laying enough eggs to earn their keep. I went so far as to hang recipes for BBQ chicken, roast chicken and chicken fricassee (with photos) in and around the place. Didn't do any good.
Possibly I should build a trap nesting box and get rid of the non-layers -- except there are too many days I don't collect even one egg.
So sad, too bad ........

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Bill, maybe you should have pictures with those recipes! Failing that, you sure they're not on strike for more scratch?

Joking aside, if you are in the southern hemisphere, then it's likely day length and soon they'll pick back up. Welcome to BYC!

 

[MANOZ]

i would have to agree with galanie....still weed out the nonlayers though unless you are raising meat birds

 

[MANOZ]

sky the chicken man-------hi there,
glad you could join us!yes sir.....trap nesting your birds will take the mystery completely away. i can cull and select with utter accuracy. i'm more than confident now......once they are up and running you'll see the facts as each bird presents them. i love it.....

 

[MANOZ]

i just finished reading one of the books above, and as i think about what i've read. one cant help but admire these early pioneers of poultry. some of the birds these men started with layed less than 100 eggs a year and these were considered the high end egg layers.they trapnested and bred these birds to lay over 300 eggs per year. thats a big improvement! some birds layed through molting. now thats what i call self sustainability. one guy never used lights in his houses and achieved over 300 eggs per year the natural way.

galanie------by the way the little bugger that gets in the boxes without touching the door, she's been nominated for freezer camp.


i will be posting my one month log of my layers this weekend, looking good for some, looking real bad for others,my poor wyandotte dont stand a chance. she's definetly a gumbo.........lol
no eggs from her since i dont know when........pearl's sister is the same. i'm gonna miss them but i'll get over it.

 

[MANOZ]

as the trap nesting unfolds, i couldnt help but notice the body shapes of my best 2 layers so far.the one one the left is second best layer.the one on the right is the best layer but number 2 is working hard for the top spot,she's layed 8 eggs in 8 straight days. her eggs are a bit smaller than her sister's eggs,but she lays regular. the question i have is what body type is the standard. the one on the left side,her back is smaller than the one on the right. the bird on the right started laying back in august way before i started logging the eggs and trapnesting.she has the biggest eggs and never took more than one day off at a time this month. the one on the left took 2 days off twice this month and 2 seperate single days off. should i breed from the smaller body or the larger body. in the pic i'm was trying to capture the different sizes of the birds.basically across the back between the wings,if u look there,u will notice the different sizes. which one would u all be leaning toward for breeding?