Nest Box 2.0 ??

[electrycmonk]

This is a pleasant bit of comedy regarding flock personalities..... And the nesting box upgrades.... I to have realized and upgraded my nesting boxes. A few hens like to lay together in the box while laying eggs. So I gave them supersized nesting boxes.... And are they using them! The lower level is just 2 boxes to nest in but, each one is ~15" deep and almost 24" wide.
The upper deck is 3 that are all ~15" deep X ~15" wide. Some girls still sit two in those ones.... Go figure.

 

[jthornton]

How is the new nest box working out?

JT

 

[Ted Brown]

How is the new nest box working out?JT

I have not built the new box as yet. I did raise the roosts and drop board to 30"; access and cleanup easier as a result. The ladies continue to lay in the back corner...

 

[aart]

The ladies continue to lay in the back corner...

Those...soandso's!!!....
Hard to care when it's so cold.

 

[jthornton]

Put a cardboard box in the corner, then move it a bit each day until it is where the nest box will be. It will be an interesting experiment to see the outcome.

JT

 

[jthornton]

@Ted Brown how's it going up there?

JT

 

[Ted Brown]

@Ted Brown how's it going up there?

JT

John, thanks for asking.

Very strange winter! Early November start with cold weather and a big dump of snow, same as last year which was horrid throughout. But things warmed up, very little snow and then RAIN all day last Saturday (unheard of up here). You know the politicos say climate change is a hoax... ya right.

I have been in a bit of a do nothing state so still have not finished the new nest box. I have the front finished and painted (I have read that they like red and thought why not), still need to make the box and get it mounted; direct copy of @aart 's.



My flock is doing well: the first seven ISA Red pullets give me 6 or 7 eggs everyday; my eight hatched Amerucana mixes (14+ weeks) are full sized with the four boys now the biggest birds I have. Still no fighting only chest bumps, squawks then scoot away. Over the past few days I see signs of them starting to mount their sisters but it is perfunctory at best; have been told that can change overnight so am keeping my eyes open. I think I have chosen which male I will keep, the first hatched and now the best looking bird but their juvenile molts are ongoing so lots of feather loss and new growth that changes their appearance given development of colours (mostly black but with lots of rust and iridescent greens on wings, backs and tails). No real aggression that I have seen but... This is Fausto the first born and likely keeper.

 

[jthornton]

Yea from what I understand when rooster gets to a stage in life, I guess it's an adult stage for them he either is a good rooster or a bad rooster and the change is almost overnight. I'd have to search for Henry Jr.'s thread to see when that happened to him. He went from sitting on my lap to wanting to drop kick anything other than a pullet that came in the chicken yard and he constantly wanted to breed them.

I finally got my Round Tuit and started finishing up Coop Deux for the Cinnamon Queens in the spring.

JT

 

[Ted Brown]

...I finally got my Round Tuit and started finishing up Coop Deux for the Cinnamon Queens in the spring.

JT

Funny how winter can either put a pause or spur one on.

I am thinking of a "Coop Deux" myself, in fact ordered the wood for it a couple of weeks back. If I proceed I will build a 8' by 12' Woods, same design and style as the current one. I am investigating sourcing standard bred White Chantecler fertilized eggs in April/May and hatching out a small flock that I will segregate. These are the only Canadian developed breed, developed by a priest in a monastery in Oka Quebec, about 100 miles from where I live. Seems appropriate and well suited to my climate.

In for a nickle...

 

[aart]

I am thinking of a "Coop Deux" myself, in fact ordered the wood for it a couple of weeks back.

Thought a bigger run was next on the plate?