Backyard Coop Question

[Little Ondine]

Does anyone here utilize separate coops, one for roosting and the other for nesting? I'd have more room for more hens to roost if I take out the nesting boxes. Is this crazy? I'm just too lazy to go on another majorly frustrating coop building adventure with my husband and the budget is limited.

 

[Chick Charm]

Yes. Sure you can. I have trained my hens to lay in a wooden bucket by my back door instead of the coop.

 

[Little Ondine]

Yes. Sure you can. I have trained my hens to lay in a wooden bucket by my back door instead of the coop.

WOW! That's great!

Very charming, too. Did you train them as young hens? Did you do the golf ball trick?

 

[Chick Charm]

Actually they came to my back porch/door for treats so much I thought I could set the wooden buckets there so I wouldn't have to walk 120' to the coop. And they started to lay in it. The Cochin mix in this photo even brooded a hatch of 8 last summer, which meant all the other hens had to go back to the coop to lay for the next 3 weeks. But they returned to the bucket after the hatch. And yes I put golf balls in it. That always seems to work for me.

 

[Little Ondine]

Actually they came to my back porch/door for treats so much I thought I could set the wooden buckets there so I wouldn't have to walk 120' to the coop. And they started to lay in it. The Cochin mix in this photo even brooded a hatch of 8 last summer, which meant all the other hens had to go back to the coop to lay for the next 3 weeks. But they returned to the bucket after the hatch. And yes I put golf balls in it. That always seems to work for me.

That is so rad. Thanks for the input!