I built nesting boxes all by myself!!! *PICS*

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Now this looks easy. Do you sit them rightside up and just put straw in them? do you have them sitting on the ground or up? So many questions sorry. It may be faster for me to get the crates then build the box's. LOL

gumpsgirl, you did a great job you should be proud of yourself.

I have 8 of the milk crates and I have them all side by side , totally upright and on the floor of the coop . I wanted DH to mount them on the wall 18 inches high , BUT before he could get to doing that , they started laying in them on the floor and no problems . We have them 1/2 filled with pine shavings and shavings thru out the whole coop . NO POOP in crates neither . Roosting area is totally across back section of the coop .

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Great nest boxes! Those are beautiful! It looks like your girls love them already, too.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
Thank you Chicken Lady! I do have to admit, however, that my girls haven't laid their first egg in them yet. Those are just wooden eggs that I put in there to encourage them to use the nesting boxes! They still laid their eggs in the corner of the coop this morning, right underneath the nesting boxes.

I hope and pray that they will catch on. They have only been laying for a week to two weeks. Only one of them has been laying for two, the other two or three have been laying for a week. I'm hoping that I'm not to late in building these. I tried and tried to get my DH to do it a month ago and it never did happen. That's why I stepped in and just did it! Besides, it's one less thing he has to worry about now. Do you think that the chickens will eventually use them? I have more that haven't started to lay yet as well.

 

[rughooker]

Cajunlizz answered my question about which way the baskets sit in the coop. Now I want to know ; where do you get such big baskets? The ones I found are alot smaller.

 

[rooster-red]

Good job!

 

[chick4chicks]

gumpsgirl, Good job and hopefully the girls will start using those nice nesting boxes. When I found my first eggs i didn't have any nesting boxes as the girls were only 15 weeks old, I thought i had time well i didn't.LOL. I got a wooden crate from work it had pears in it, it is big enough for at least 2 chickens. I put the box in the pen right away my girls started using them right away, smart girls they are. LOL. Good luck.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Thank you Chicken Lady! I do have to admit, however, that my girls haven't laid their first egg in them yet. Those are just wooden eggs that I put in there to encourage them to use the nesting boxes! They still laid their eggs in the corner of the coop this morning, right underneath the nesting boxes.

I hope and pray that they will catch on. They have only been laying for a week to two weeks. Only one of them has been laying for two, the other two or three have been laying for a week. I'm hoping that I'm not to late in building these. I tried and tried to get my DH to do it a month ago and it never did happen. That's why I stepped in and just did it! Besides, it's one less thing he has to worry about now. Do you think that the chickens will eventually use them? I have more that haven't started to lay yet as well.

Pick up your hens and gently put them in the nesting boxes , might take a few times .... I hav e2 golf balls in each nesting box ... trust me , they know where to go . LOL

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
I called the milk company , Like Bordens , and they gave them to me . Also , since then , friends have been giving more of them to DH so we have entra . GOOD thing we buying more and more hens. LOL

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
Thank you Chicken Lady! I do have to admit, however, that my girls haven't laid their first egg in them yet. Those are just wooden eggs that I put in there to encourage them to use the nesting boxes! They still laid their eggs in the corner of the coop this morning, right underneath the nesting boxes.

I hope and pray that they will catch on. They have only been laying for a week to two weeks. Only one of them has been laying for two, the other two or three have been laying for a week. I'm hoping that I'm not to late in building these. I tried and tried to get my DH to do it a month ago and it never did happen. That's why I stepped in and just did it! Besides, it's one less thing he has to worry about now. Do you think that the chickens will eventually use them? I have more that haven't started to lay yet as well.

Pick up your hens and gently put them in the nesting boxes , might take a few times .... I hav e2 golf balls in each nesting box ... trust me , they know where to go . LOL

I did pick Baby up this morning after she finished laying her egg and put her in there. She looked at me like I was crazy and hopped right back out with the other girls just watching! LOL! When they all get back to the coop from free ranging this evening, I will place several of them in the boxes. My sons little white leghorn laid her first egg today under the tarp that is covering the lawn mower. Boy! I have some training to do with these girls!

 

[orchidchick]

You should be so proud! I would have never guessed a "man" didn't create those lovely nest boxes!!!! He he Heh!!!

You may want to consider blocking off the area the girls have been previously laying in as well to further give them the "hint" to use the new nests....I think sometimes it's hard for them to break their routines. Given as the examples of how many here have umpteen nest boxes and their choices of what they use!
Good job..you're hired!

Orchidchick