Nesting boxes and egg laying???

[chick_newbie]

Well we did take out the divider last night and spread out more shavings. I did find most of the eggs in the area of the favorite nesting box but all the shavings were pretty much undisturbed, not pushed out. The really big hen didn't break her egg today so maybe at least she has more room in the box. I just love that one of the EE is laying in a different box. At least she isn't as fussy as the rest of them.

 

[digitS']

Quote:
Well, apparently dark boxes work well for some people - covered with curtains and that is supposed to keep the hens from eating eggs

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You can see a picture of the exterior of my little coop on my BYC page. The floor design provides a "sunporch" on the open side and a shelf for nest boxes in the insulated side. It wasn't quite planned that way - I was just trying to maximize space for a building that could slide into a pickup bed if I moved. Which I never did but that's another story.

My nests are a "far cry" from a purchased nestbox battery.

Having a shelf has allowed me to use cardboard boxes. The box can be cut so as to have a front entrance and the cardboard can be bent back and tacked to the wall. That both holds the box in place and prevents a chicken from climbing on top the box. Anytime I want - the box can be pulled out and dumped in the garbage can. Two minutes later, there's a clean, new nestbox to take its place.

Steve

 

[Yardegg]

digitS'

I like the cardboard box method. I'm all about using whatever is available -- especially if there is a recycling component involved. If I use your method, I could burn the soiled boxes in the burn barrel which would help eliminate a host of pests and their eggs or larvae. Now to locate an adequate supply of boxes.

Yardegg

 

[cajunlizz]

digitS' :

Quote:
Well, apparently dark boxes work well for some people - covered with curtains and that is supposed to keep the hens from eating eggs

.

You can see a picture of the exterior of my little coop on my BYC page. The floor design provides a "sunporch" on the open side and a shelf for nest boxes in the insulated side. It wasn't quite planned that way - I was just trying to maximize space for a building that could slide into a pickup bed if I moved. Which I never did but that's another story.

My nests are a "far cry" from a purchased nestbox battery.

Having a shelf has allowed me to use cardboard boxes. The box can be cut so as to have a front entrance and the cardboard can be bent back and tacked to the wall. That both holds the box in place and prevents a chicken from climbing on top the box. Anytime I want - the box can be pulled out and dumped in the garbage can. Two minutes later, there's a clean, new nestbox to take its place.

Steve

Do you have apic of how these cardboard nest look and how they set up ?​

 

[CKNNWBEE]

I agree, Wynette, I have used hay for extra heat in colder weather. Then we used it for back up food when left for a few days. They eat it and I was worried about getting impacted, so I will only use hay in their nesting box once they start laying, (hoping they don't EAT it).

 

[DavidTeresa]

We use shavings & straw in the nests. We put the pine shavings (from TSC or Atwoods) down first to make a barrier on the bottom. Then we add the straw (from TSC or Atwoods) on top of that to give them some cushion. We keep the nest clean and yes out of 6 nests we usually get 4 - 5 eggs from one nest. By May it will be a challange because we should have a total of 24 laying. We have 9 hens and 15 pullets right now.