milk crate on for laying "box"?

[crystal94040]

I just found our first egg and it was in their pan of food ( we just use a casarole pan) SO I put in a milk crate and pit some straw in it. We had a large box with straw in it before but they didn't seem to like it. Do you think a milk crate will be ok?? It holds 4 gallons of milk side by side so you get an idea of the size....I filled it about 1/2 way with straw.

 

[Corey NC]

Put a couple of eggs or golf balls in the box to help them understand that where they're suppose to lay.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

When we had a girl go broody and hog the official nestbox, we added a milk crate with straw on the floor of the coop so the other girls wouldn't have to fight with Miss Grumpy Pants in order to lay their eggs.

But they never laid an egg in it. Perhaps because they were used to using the upright nestbox, they ignored the milk crate on the floor. We removed it after a week and let them duke it out with Her Broodiness.

 

[Josie]

Growing up, our chickens layed in milk crates. Do you let your girls free range before they have had a chance to lay? If so, they may be a little more picky about where they lay.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

i have 3 milk crates in the coop and none of my girls lay in them instead the all perfer one corner of the coop where they have made a nest with the pine shavings and they all take turns leaveing thier eggs in the same nest -- all but my banty she goes under the coop in a nest only she can get to and has made a nest out of dirt and some shavings



Julie

 

[karri25]

I have 8 milk crate nesting boxes. We screwwed them sideways into the wall. Every one of my girls but one uses them. We did the golfball thing.

 

[paganfish]

Milk crates are the preferred nest boxes for my girls. (Heck, even the dudes love to snuggle in them!) I call them my ghetto nest boxes...I guess my girls are from the hood!!!

Hummm...I should name them all Jenny! Jennies from the block.

 

[Gracie_Chickie]

I put 2 milk crates in for my girls. I plan on getting other nest boxes, but in the mean time, just in case they are precocious and decide to lay early (they are 18 weeks), I wanted something for them to nest in. How many boxes would be right for 12 hens?

 

[hensdeliverthegoods]

paganfish said -

Hummm...I should name them all Jenny! Jennies from the block

Good idea, after all...hens have big bootys!

 

[jab91864]

I have the standard attached to your wall wooden nestboxes. I also have several milk crates and some buckets turned on their sides and wedged so they can't roll.

My silkies prefer the milk crates and buckets...easier to get into I think. But my big gals will lay in the crates too. And they scrub up soooooo much easier , I love the crates.

I have a broody silkie sitting on eggs in a crate now too..lol

Julie