The Trap Nesting Thread

[galanie]

Right now Im in the coop with them. So far two have managed to get in there w/out tripping the door so I know it'll have to be lower. They are my two smallest hens and I'm waiting for this one to finish so a bigger one can go in there. They don't tend to fuss about getting the nest much unless there's a broody on it. Then, oh wow the fussing! haha. I'll post a pic after I go inside.

 

[MANOZ]

Well thanx to trap nesting I finally caught the egg eater.I know who she is, an Australorp cross that my son actually incubated last year.She was a total experiment we had.I thought she was going broody when she didnt wanna leave the box.Come to find out all she wanted was a lil privacy so she can eat her egg.Frankly I dont need a bird that eats more eggs than me! We got a problem....lol....she has to go......the cull list gets bigger.I found her yesterday with no egg in the nest,I'm like oooo.kkkkk.I knew she had layed because when I let them out of the boxes they go straight for the water.Something you will notice with all chickens,they are very thirsty after they lay.Anyways today i was a few minutes early,when I let her out she had already cleaned the egg out left 3/4 of the eggshell.This is not a trait I want on my yard,Sometimes u gotta do what u gotta do.

I would not know these things about my flock if it had not been for trap nesting.It shows the good and the bad from whatever u have in your flock.I feel like a mad scientist because I'm learning so much from this system.Every bird has its own qualities some good some bad,but as I prepare for the coming year I'm confident in my endeavors. No more guesswork for me.

galanie-----your efforts will be greatly rewarded, I'm sure you will enjoy your future relationship with your flock.Not to mention Texas and Louisiana will have some of the best egg layers ever found on backyard chickens.

 

[galanie]

Well, I'm still at the adjusting stage. Seems they either don't hit the door or they lift it up enough that the door ends up on top of the nail. But I've been watching them so much that I know who does what exactly. And I've confirmed that my one girl that laid consistently all through the heat when the rest were not laying well, has now slowed down. She needs the break after all she did so I'm not holding it against her! I'll not be able to watch much today and tomorrow so I probably will just leave it stuck open till I can spend more time out there.

ETA: But first I'll be putting longer strings on the top "hinge" to extend the length of the top door part and see how that works.

 

[MANOZ]

I think the door works better if its resting on top of the nail instead of a groove. Please keep us informed!!

 

[BWKatz]

If u look at my byline u will see that the variety of my flock. Of the 13 only 9 are female and they lay 7 different colors and sizes-white, chocolate, tan, cream, blue, green, pink with 2 sizes of cream and chocolate. My roosters are left to free range and my layers are in a portable pen during the day and in the coop at night so that I don't have the problem of missing eggs. Manoz I meant contact the 4H leaders in ur community. If u are a 4H leader many kudos to u

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I have to agree. After mine molted their eggs changed appearance. I only have 5 hens laying right now and due to the changed appearances, I can't be sure who laid which always. Three of them always did lay pretty similar looking eggs, but now the colors are all different from before and I'm a bit confused. But if they lay distinctly different eggs then yes, you really wouldn't need this. At it's largest, I expect to have no more than a dozen laying at once yet I think I'll always need a way to be absolutely, positively sure that I know who laid what egg. Not least because I want to be sure when I start selling hatching eggs that the pureblood eggs are the ones I think they are.

See, I never want to have more than one roo at a time, but I do have pullets other than Orp. This way I won't have to have separate pens and they can all run together. A bit different use than Manoz but at the same time, I'll be monitoring output too. So really I have two purposes for it, even with a tiny flock of a dozen or so.

an alternative would be to have different breeds that lay different color eggs. for example, my primary breed will be dorking, with eggs from EE marans and sussex for 'table eggs' so I know which ones to keep for incubating even when i let everyone free range.

 

[BWKatz]

AMEN!! As to boasting, my avatar lays an XL egg every single day. Eve is a white leghorn and LOVES to be petted and handfed treats.
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[BWKatz]

Just curious.. how often do u check ur boxes? Mine lay at all different times thruout the day,especially those that lay every 36 hr. I have to commend u all for ur woodworking skills. I too am jealous of the finishing nailer. I tend to powerscrew everything because I just do not have the strength to hammer anymore. Especially on the pallet wood available around here...REALLY hard wood!Even though my kitty boxes work great, urs sure are pretty.

 

[galanie]

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Before I got that nailer, I was using screws too. Same reason. My most treasured tool is my 18 volt cordless drill. But for pallet wood, unless you predrill the holes, the screws tend to split it. And of course any narrow board. The free compressor my son got me was a God send and the nailer was a sale item for 29.99 at Harbor Freight so I was just super lucky there. But the cordless is still my most treasured tool. I use it for everything from grinding grain to - you name it.

Mine lay mostly between 11am and 3pm. I'm still adjusting the door more or less, have been busy with other things and had it just propped open most of the time since I haven't been able to check during those hours. But today I plan to make a small modification and see how it goes. Problem right now is that they lift the door to the top of the nail and that's where it falls - on top of the nail. They aren't pushing it forward enough to let it fall, just straight up. I've an idea why and that is what the mod will fix. I hope.

 

[galanie]

By the way, BWKatz, wait till Eve molts! I have a BO that molted this fall and after a year of laying Large and XL is now laying a Jumbo most often. I love my Big Girl!

 

[BWKatz]

She already has molted last year and ur right they just get bigger and bigger Lol.

Love when she occasionally throws a double yolk. HUGE! As to the splitting with screws, yes I do predrill to prevent it. I have 2 drills , one to drill and one to screw to keep from having to chg bits constantly.
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