Hello all you fellow chickeners... I am psyched about getting my first chickens. Last year I moved to a fairly isolated property with 6 acres. I have lots of plans and books... but what I haven't seen is how exactly do you build the nest so that when the Hen lays the egg it will roll to a collection area? I want to have a rear panel open up to the nests so I can collect the eggs without going into the coop. It would be better still..I think..If the eggs collected slightly below the nests so I wouldn't disturb any hen currently at work. I saw pictures of the collection area but were no drawings of Point A to Point B. If the hen can sit and lay an the weight of the egg makes it roll.. Is it some kind of funnel shape? Thanks from the latest Newbie..
I remember seeing a show on TV that featured this kind of thing. It was awhile ago. Anyway, I think the cage was angled as such that the egg rolled to a wire funnel after it was laid. What you could do is angle it with a built in trough for collection, leaving a gap in the bottom front that the egg can fit through. Experiment as necessary.
What you are looking for is called a "Roll Away" nest box in the business. I've seen them done 2 ways that seem to make sense. The first is with a plastic insert to the nest box and the other is a box that is built with the floor sloped towards the rear a bit so the eggs roll out. I have actually built the later in the past. Check out: http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/rollaway_nestboxes.htm and http://www.nfpledbury.co.uk/products/poultry/commercial/rollaway_nestboxes.htm
Quote:MAYBE like a laundry shoot . HEN lays the egg , drops down in SHOOT and hands its master the egg ? LOL I think I am cracking up . Worked most of the day today getting the roof onto the coop . ITS SO HOT . DANG and we are only in JUNE . LOOK OUT for JULY AND AUG.
