Critter resistant nesting box designs?

[LAFreewayChickens]

So we've been losing eggs to critters. Not egg eating chickens: today something definitely took the golf ball fake egg.

Could be rats, chipmunks, squirrels, snakes, we've got 'em all.

In the short term, there is no way we can screen them out. The chickens are loose in a large dirt floor hoop house. It manages to keep the big animals out, but anything that can travel by underground burrows can get in.

So I'm looking for designs that will help keep critters out of the nesting boxes. Right now we've got metal boxes, which were on the ground. I had moved them up onto cinder blocks when we first started suspecting we were losing eggs. But today the golf ball went missing.

I'm afraid I don't know which critters it is yet (but I'll be keeping my eye open if that golf ball turns up outside somebody's hole).

I was thinking that possibly raising the nesting boxes up on legs of PVC pipe, or even metal pipe or conduit might help, so long as the girls had a perch in front to land on before stepping in. My idea was that it would be too slippery for critters to climb.

Any feedback on this idea? I would like to get any experience about whether a plan like that might work before investing time and material.

How high do you think the legs would need to be to be safe from all these types of critters? (I don't want the nesting boxes higher than the roosts, but I suppose we could raise the roosts if necessary.

Any other ideas?

 

[Fishbone]

If you're using cattle panels, dog run or dog fencing, fencing with large openings, anything that can get in WILL get your eggs.
You need to put smaller size fencing, hardware cloth etc.

A snake can wrap/slither right up PVC pipe. a squirrel can climb it or a snake/squirrel will climb up near it and drop down.

What ever is getting is either digging or crawling right through the fencing. A layer of 1/2x1 welded wire on the ground, around the perimeter will deter diggers.
I'd 'guess it's a snake, squirrels, rats would go for the grain first.

Sure you don't have 'two legged' bandits?

 

[katescountryfarm]

We had a rat problem last summer at our barn. The best method I found was the GIANT rat traps. It was awful cleaning them but it worked. I kept the trap around the outside edge of the coop. I would usually set them at night. I had rats eating golf balls and eggs. nasty buggers!

 

[chfite]

If the poacher can get inside to address the nesting box, the chance to protect the eggs has already passed.

Chris

 

[Red Barn Farms]

If you see no signs of broken eggs or shells in nest boxes my first guess would be a snake. First thing I'd do to get rid of snakes if that is what you find it to be is cutting down all tall weeds and grass in the coops area. Getting rid of any lumber, sheet metal, logs etc which might be on the ground which snakes will hide under. Removing wood and rock piles. If you can apply snake repellent, sulfur and or moth balls around your coop in areas where your chickens cannot get to them that will also help some in keeping snakes away. Another suggestion is having a few peacocks which will also kill snakes.

 

[quarrymaster]

I agree with the others , if there are no egg shell fragments it's a snake , if broken eggs , it could be 10 different animals.....1 in x1 in wire netting is good ( I have that doubled ((inside and outside) over my chain link dog pen fencing) that slowed it down but had to block / seal every little opening ( a 1in x 2in will let a snake get in) after I blocked everything I still had problems with dig unders....added cement block around outside (2in x 8in x16in ) with red bricks on top , still had problems off and on.....at a poultry swap an old guy told me when you'r working outside pee on the bricks that'll stop coons and foxes etc......he was right!!! the only problem now is snakes when chicks hatch or a fox or dog during the day when they're free range.