Cardboard Nesting Boxes

[country freedom]

I am wondering.....empty cardboard container boxes.
The kinds that hold the packaged foods on store shelves.

They come in different sizes, are disposable, and possibly be used as compost material.
The empty container boxes come in bamtam size and larger for chickens any size larger than Bantams.

I am slowly building up my supplies for my henhouse and henyards, and I do have a few of these saved.

I can get them free.

 

[patandchickens]

Well, you'd kind of need to put them on the floor I think; and they would not last long *at all* because of how fast cardboard softens and comes apart when it gets damp.

But for the first while you could certainly try using them, til you come up with some scrap wood or milkcrates or rubbermaid totes or whatever to use more permanently.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[BeccaOH]

Agree with Pat. Might have to tack the box to the wall or a shelf. I have a plastic tub nest box my chickens move around.

 

[justtoni44]

HI,
Boxes are my hens favorite

They do not care for the expensive wood one.
We use the ones that apples come in and it is such a hoot to watch them.........
I think they like the feeling of hiding.
I will see a hen peek her little eyes over the box and duck back in quickly .
Kind of like, If I can't see you..you can"t see me.
They will tip over but we have ours set so there is a strip of wood to tuck the end under.
I like that we can replace them as needed but they really seem to stay clean for quite awhile.
We have a three hole wood one, a four hole metal one and 5 boxes.............al.most all eggs in the cardboard
Good Luck and have fun

 

[country freedom]

Oooops!

I had forgotten to say that the boxes will be inside of a good sized "hollowed out" homemade nest box, that we would be able to slide the boxes in to sit side by side.
Ok, it will look like four/six nest boxes (horizontally), without the inside walls of each individual nest, with a sloped roof.
Individual cardboard boxes will be replaced as needed, to be recycled for another use.
Stores will only throw those cardboard container boxes away, I can certainly find usage for them.

 

[BeccaOH]

Sounds like a decent plan to me.

 

[RustyHen]

I have used them for my broody hens to set their eggs, worked great for the 20 plus days, with hay in the bottom they were very happy and the boxes stood up very well.

 

[pat1297]

I use a cardboard banana box. They dont have a problem with it and are laying ok. They push the bedding around to their liking.

 

[ThatsneakyHen]

Wow, a little late, but my girls love cardboard boxes plus it works for about 5 weeks- at most 2 months!