We knew we needed to make nest boxes very quickly - the girls are getting very red in the face and they are finally developing combs and wattles. A few are even squatting.
Soooo not having much money to spend, we looked around that marvelous treasure house, "The Man Cave" that we inherited with the house (the builder and original owner of our house was a contractor and the Man Cave is a huge room under the garage where he stored 'stuff'. All kinds of stuff.)
We found old wooden garage door panels. After my son knocked out the old glass (which became the front of the box) and my daughters painted them white, my husband used old wood planks to make the dividing slats and nailed it all together.
On its side so you can see the bottom, top and sides (which all look alike)
Sitting upright, so you can see the inside and the leftover vinyl from the hen house floor on top. Since the henhouse is narrow, we wanted to let them use the box surface to walk and sit on so they didn't lose living space. The vinyl will help keep the top easy to clean.
And in the coop. Sue, one of our Easter Eggers is quickly investigating the new box. We hung the food over the box, and put shavings and Stall Dry on the top of the box.
We did clean the inside today, so the poo boards don't look so icky now!
And yes, there is a swing in the coop. It fell off the kids' swingset, and they donated it to their friends! I have no idea if the birds use it but it pleases the little ones to think that they do.
Soooo not having much money to spend, we looked around that marvelous treasure house, "The Man Cave" that we inherited with the house (the builder and original owner of our house was a contractor and the Man Cave is a huge room under the garage where he stored 'stuff'. All kinds of stuff.)
We found old wooden garage door panels. After my son knocked out the old glass (which became the front of the box) and my daughters painted them white, my husband used old wood planks to make the dividing slats and nailed it all together.
On its side so you can see the bottom, top and sides (which all look alike)
Sitting upright, so you can see the inside and the leftover vinyl from the hen house floor on top. Since the henhouse is narrow, we wanted to let them use the box surface to walk and sit on so they didn't lose living space. The vinyl will help keep the top easy to clean.
And in the coop. Sue, one of our Easter Eggers is quickly investigating the new box. We hung the food over the box, and put shavings and Stall Dry on the top of the box.
We did clean the inside today, so the poo boards don't look so icky now!
And yes, there is a swing in the coop. It fell off the kids' swingset, and they donated it to their friends! I have no idea if the birds use it but it pleases the little ones to think that they do.
