5 gallon bucket nest box??

[sdm111]

For the record I only have game chickens so obviously they're not as big as a layer.

 

[bill3607]

For the record I only have game chickens so obviously they're not as big as a layer.

Gotcha. I would actually be using them turned the other way from the way you are using from your picture.. I would have less head room than the way you are using them. It is not a whole lot more but a little.

 

[Timmy59]

Another cattle panel house @bill3607 .. With 5 gallon buckets.. The birds in there are 5 month old Meyer white rocks.. Here PDQ I'll get the buckets half full of hay so their comfortable.. The hay I put in last they scratched out.. They are captured by design yet they lift right out for the keeper..

 

[bill3607]

Another cattle panel house @bill3607 .. With 5 gallon buckets.. The birds in there are 5 month old Meyer white rocks.. Here PDQ I'll get the buckets half full of hay so their comfortable.. The hay I put in last they scratched out.. They are captured by design yet they lift right out for the keeper..View attachment 2474546View attachment 2474549

Interesting. So, those are as high or higher than the roost? Do they not try to roost on top or even in the bucket itself? Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Timmy59]

Interesting. So, those are as high or higher than the roost? Do they not try to roost on top or even in the bucket itself? Thanks for the pictures.

They are incorporated into the roost bars, what you see is east to west, there is more running North to South you don't see at the same level, and they're preferred bar..
There is also a lower E to W bar.. The way it sits I can add more buckets in a jiffy.. So far they do not roost on the bucket nor sleep in it.. That may change though once they go to laying..

 

[aart]

The hay I put in last they scratched out

I'll be surprised if they lay in those buckets.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I don’t have an up to date picture of my buckets in a ladder but here are some before I decided to add a piece of wood in front of the top bucket to help them get into the top one. They are easy to clean out and I just want to restate that I only have Easter Eggers which are sort of smaller in size but it is common for two of them to be in the bucket at a time.

 

[bill3607]

I don’t have an up to date picture of my buckets in a ladder but here are some before I decided to add a piece of wood in front of the top bucket to help them get into the top one. They are easy to clean out and I just want to restate that I only have Easter Eggers which are sort of smaller in size but it is common for two of them to be in the bucket at a time.
View attachment 2474636
View attachment 2474642

That's neat! Do you not have a problem with them scratching the bedding out? I was thinking about cutting a piece of wood that would fit tight inside the bottom of the bucket just say 2 or 3 inches high in the center and of course conforming to the curve of the bucket. You could put it flush with the edge and then drive a screw on each side and one on the bottom through the bucket and into the wood to hold it in place. Or, you could take the lid that came with the bucket if you had it and cut it to do the same way and snap it on, I think.

 

[CluckerFamily]

That's neat! Do you not have a problem with them scratching the bedding out? I was thinking about cutting a piece of wood that would fit tight inside the bottom of the bucket just say 2 or 3 inches high in the center and of course conforming to the curve of the bucket. You could put it flush with the edge and then drive a screw on each side and one on the bottom through the bucket and into the wood to hold it in place. Or, you could take the lid that came with the bucket if you had it and cut it to do the same way and snap it on, I think.

It is odd but they only scratch out one so I took the lid of the bucket and cut off a part that is just big enough to hold the bedding in and not allow anything to be scratched out.
Edited to say that the part that I cut off just snaps onto the bucket rim.

 

[bill3607]

It is odd but they only scratch out one so I took the lid of the bucket and cut off a part that is just big enough to hold the bedding in and not allow anything to be scratched out.
Edited to say that the part that I cut off just snaps onto the bucket rim.

Quick and easy and cost efficient. Excellent!