Nest box from kitty litter container

[nctoni]

Thanks for letting me know. I have a few weeks to get something else going. My girls were born the first week in April. I guess those BO are going to be pretty big so I am back to the drawing board for my nesting box. I'm not much of a handyman so I was trying to get out easier. I guess it is back to the"Show me your nesting box" thread for more ideas. Thanks guys.

 

[clickdb]

The only interest ours showed in the containers when I tried 2 as nesting boxes was how many young pullets could fit on top. They loved to sleep on top of them.

We have 5 cats so I was disappointed. We have those buckets everywhere. We even tried cleaning one out and mounting nipple waterers in it. Nope, they didn't buy that idea either.

If anybody needs some buckets.........

Ha, that's too funny, I was thinking about using them as feeders and waterers too. Not I have to think of something else to do with all the buckets I've been hoarding (4 cats...). Maybe quail would nest in them?

 

[aart]

The only interest ours showed in the containers when I tried 2 as nesting boxes was how many young pullets could fit on top. They loved to sleep on top of them.

We have 5 cats so I was disappointed. We have those buckets everywhere. We even tried cleaning one out and mounting nipple waterers in it. Nope, they didn't buy that idea either.

If anybody needs some buckets.........

Nipple waterers take some time for them to get used to...weeks some times. The horizontal nipples are the Bomb!!

I use the kitty litter buckets to store the poops sifted off the roost boards for a friend who composts them, have 4 that we rotate 2 at a time, love the hinged lids.

 

[microchick]

One really makes a great waterer....or so I thought. DH mounted two on opposing corners. The bottom even has wide raised ridges that catch any sediment debris that might be in the water.

When I first hung it I watched them to see if I had it hanging at the right level for them and I thought I did. They walked up to it, looked it over, stood on their tip toes, stretched their necks out and reached up so they could drum on the side with their beaks. Then they stood under it, cocked their heads, examined the bottom, tapped on it a few times and walked away. end of interest in the waterer.

Silly birds.

It's been up for over two weeks.

 

[Nupe]

I put 4 nipples under a homer bucket and the girls figured it out in a day. The trick is, you have to remove all other water sources. If a mud puddle forms under the bucket from too much dribbling, they'll dig that out instead. Glad our reclaim center offers free mulch.

 

[aart]

One really makes a great waterer....or so I thought. DH mounted two on opposing corners. The bottom even has wide raised ridges that catch any sediment debris that might be in the water.

When I first hung it I watched them to see if I had it hanging at the right level for them and I thought I did. They walked up to it, looked it over, stood on their tip toes, stretched their necks out and reached up so they could drum on the side with their beaks. Then they stood under it, cocked their heads, examined the bottom, tapped on it a few times and walked away. end of interest in the waterer.

Silly birds.

It's been up for over two weeks.

It's best to train them when you can take all other water sources away....like when it's not scorching hot out, don't want any dehydration cases.
You'll have to repeatedly tap the nipple to get them interested until they realize 'this thing has water'...then it still takes time for them to master it.
Seems to take older birds longer too figure it out, I've had 2 day olds figure it out in 2 hours, the 6 week old chicks took a few days.
So yeah, it takes some time and effort,b but it's SOOO worth it.

 

[ConPollos]

My girls prefer their Tidy Cat boxes to the roomier Sterilite bins with a door cut into the side that I offered them.

I had seen Tidy Cat nest boxes online, but was planning to buy some official nest boxes from the farm supply. Then, two weeks early, my Golden Comet, Frances Myrtle, started frantically trying to squeeze into any tight space she could find, so I ran in the house and got one of my old empty Tidy Cat buckets, and I helped her go in it. I didn't have time to cut the lid flap off. She went in and out a few times and then laid an egg in the run. Lol. The next day she laid her egg in the Tidy Cat box.

But to me it looked too small, so I bought a couple of small plastic bins that I had seen being used as nest boxes by a homesteader on YouTube.

Frances Myrtle went right into the roomier bin and sat there, but when she got close to laying the egg she jumped out and tried to squeeze between it and tbe wall, so I realized she wanted a tighter space and put the Tidy Cat box back up for her. She immediately went into the Tidy Cat box and laid her egg, ignoring the larger bin.

I gave them a choice and they all liked the Tidy Cat boxes best.

Then I read an article about why smaller nest boxes are better. One reason is they have to stand all the way up to poop, so a smaller box prevents that and stays cleaner. There are other reasons that I've forgotten.

Believe it or not, when one hen is sitting in the Tidy Cat box another hen can squeeze in there next to her and run her out. There's enough room in there.

Google Tidy Cat nest box to see images of some nice nest box arrangements made with them.

I'm not painting mine because the girls like the bright colors, and they don't need the paint fumes.

Also, I've kept the lid flaps so that if I ever see a snake in there I can snap the lid back on and carry the whole bucket out with the snake in it.

 

[DLA]

Not to hijack the thread but would this kitty litter bucket be big enough for Buff Orpingtons? I also have a couple of Lowes five gallon buckets I was thinking of using. I have BO and RIRs and it may be just a few weeks until I will need something available.

I tried using these empty kitty litter bucket as nest box for my RIR 23 week old and they were too small for hens to fit. They would probably work well for bantams. However with the plastic feeder ports installed they work fantastic as feeders and good for storing feed in once properly cleaned and aired out.

 

[Dan SC]

i just wanted to share my idea for portable nest boxes from recycled kitty litter containers! I have loads of these things laying around, they make great utility buckets, and as I was trying to figure out what to do about neat boxes in my new coop, the idea struck me.
Leaving the short side of the lid on makes a lip so eggs don't roll out, and if a special hen decides to lay somewhere odd I can just move a box to her.
They will be painted before going into production, and I'll make a frame out of some scrap wood so they can't get knocked over.

I just screwed them to the wall

 

[Ridgerunner]

I tried using these empty kitty litter bucket as nest box for my RIR 23 week old and they were too small for hens to fit. They would probably work well for bantams. However with the plastic feeder ports installed they work fantastic as feeders and good for storing feed in once properly cleaned and aired out.

What size was that bucket? I used one that measured 7-1/2" x 11-1/2". I installed it so it was at a 45 degree angle with the width the 7-1/2" side. It worked fine for my dual purpose hens to lay in but was too narrow for a broody to hatch in. The early chicks climbed up on Mama's back waiting for the late ones to hatch. When they fell off they missed the nest and fell to the floor.