HWC for bottom of nesting boxes??

[TerryH]

Good morning all. I saw some vintage metal nesting boxes on Craig's list that have some sort of mesh for the bottoms. I was wondering if there was an advantage to this? I could envision that it would be easier to clean for sure that the solid bottom. If so, could I substitute HWC for a solid bottom on the nesting boxes that I'm building?

 

[Tumbling K]

I use HWC for my nesting boxes, and cover with hay.

seems to work fine for my birds......but take note, I'm in a climate that rarely sees freezing temps, and I always have a lip on the bottom of the box, to help deter drafts from cool winds.

 

[TerryH]

I use HWC for my nesting boxes, and cover with hay.

seems to work fine for my birds......but take note, I'm in a climate that rarely sees freezing temps, and I always have a lip on the bottom of the box, to help deter drafts from cool winds.

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered climate. It does regularly get well below freezing here in the winter but there should not be a draft on them at all.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I also use hardware cloth covered with hay. I’m not all that cold either, it seldom gets much below zero Fahrenheit as an overnight low here. It’s normally a little warmer than that when they actually lay.

I’ve read that wire bottoms are not as hard as a solid wooden bottom so the eggs are less likely to break when laid. I’m not sure I totally believe that one. But the wire bottoms do help keep the nests cleaner, a lot of trash falls through if you stir up the nest. To me another advantage is in the summer. While the hay does block it a lot, the wire allows some air movement on those really days. You don’t want your nests to become ovens and cook the hens when they are laying.

My broody hens have no problems hatching eggs in those nests with the hay.

I'm near Prairie Grove so you know our climate.

 

[TerryH]

I also use hardware cloth covered with hay. I’m not all that cold either, it seldom gets much below zero Fahrenheit as an overnight low here. It’s normally a little warmer than that when they actually lay.

I’ve read that wire bottoms are not as hard as a solid wooden bottom so the eggs are less likely to break when laid. I’m not sure I totally believe that one. But the wire bottoms do help keep the nests cleaner, a lot of trash falls through if you stir up the nest. To me another advantage is in the summer. While the hay does block it a lot, the wire allows some air movement on those really days. You don’t want your nests to become ovens and cook the hens when they are laying.

My broody hens have no problems hatching eggs in those nests with the hay.

I'm near Prairie Grove so you know our climate.

Thanks for the reply, Ridgerunner. I'm east of Springdale. I will go with the HWC. Seems like a win all the way around.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Good morning all. I saw some vintage metal nesting boxes on Craig's list that have some sort of mesh for the bottoms could I substitute HWC for a solid bottom on the nesting boxes that I'm building?

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag.
Frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.

I have 65 trips around the sun it is the best method I have stumbled upon.

Make sure the twine is removed from the open end of the bag it can get tangled around your birds.