My novel nesting boxes are totally doing it for me

[Shell from Zim]

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They were all broody in this pic

Too cute. Thanks for sharing x

 

[3KillerBs]

I have the same concern.. however they are traditionally used to brew mahewu, which is a traditional Shona, non alcoholic drink made from maize meal. I am hoping that, since they are waterproof and hold liquid without seepage that that would also apply in reverse. Fingers xed hahaha.. definitely an experiment

I couldn't tell if they were fully-glazed or not.

Wonderful, creative use of found items.

 

[Shell from Zim]

I use 5-gallon buckets in a similar manner. A key difference that may be worth exploring is using crushed oyster shell or coarse sand in lieu of your current nesting material. The denser materials will stay in place better as hens and sometimes rooster scratch out nest bowl to their liking.

Thanks for the tip, you are right.. some hens are grass flickers. I actually plan to get some quality astro turf off cuts from a landscaping project in the pipeline.. I'll make lil rounds to pop in from the waste.. and may even paint the insides of the pots so they're brighter and colourful. For starters, and till I get turfed up, I'm going to get them used to the new 'eggplant' by sticking to what they've been using.. which is my dried lawn clippings

 

[Shell from Zim]

I couldn't tell if they were fully-glazed or not.

Wonderful, creative use of found items.

Thank you very much.. I'm pleased as punch. The hens will totally be the true critics.. nail biting hehehe

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't worry too much about hens kicking bedding out. I just add more as needed.

I find that after a week or so of "redecorating" they usually have the nests arranged to their liking and don't kick any more out.

 

[Shell from Zim]

These are beautiful. What a unique nest box idea (sure beats my 5 gallon buckets from the local hardware store...)

My hens loooove the 5 gal buckets.. I mean they gank them from each other and I will sometimes find 3 of them in one bucket.. stealing each others eggs I hope they appreciate the upgrade

 

[Shell from Zim]

looks really cool!

Thanks so much

 

[Shell from Zim]

I think I will paint up the shoe rack with some tribal designs and colours as the bright yellow of the varnished pine is a bit stark against the pots.

I'll mix up my acrylic colours into chalk paint by mixing each colour with pva glue and non sanded grout or plaster of Paris. That way I can paint straight onto the varnished wood

 

[Shell from Zim]

I'm still working on the coop/run set up. It's pouring with rain today, so I don't know how far I'm going to get. I just want to show you how sneaky my hens are at hiding their nests, how hard it is to manage the eggs, broodies and breeding, with them hiding all over the garden.. and how vital it is to win over my girls with these Maheu pot nesting spots

It's just a bush right?

Wrong its a nest lol

Nothing to see here right?

Wrong again.. check all those eggs we missed We were about to lose another hen to an undisclosed location.. lucky find! Little nonsenses

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

Hi Everyone,

I have been dreaming up a proper chook home that I can be proud to call by its proper name of 'Hukumatapa', and magically all the parts are starting to align! I have a very long way to go still and I'm sort of working backwards with no diy skills but I will get there.

On Tuesday a friend donated his ex aviary and these stunning Shona pots, and today a friend donated a whole stack of items to the cause including roof sheets, wooden flooring offcuts, shelving and this shoe rack. In the last 30 minutes my nesting boxes have come together seamlessly. I just love them... and I'm so hopeful that they make my hens happy. I still have a few days of graft before I can get a verdict from them So please cross fingers and hold thumbs that View attachment 2852055View attachment 2852056View attachment 2852057View attachment 2852058View attachment 2852059it was a functional as well as creative call

They look like a bunch of little cement mixers when they're resting like that.