predator resiant roosting boxes

[boomerge]

reply to ozark hen: these boxes aren't desinged to keep a chicken in they are desigined for egg laying and roosting in a safe place. if you don't have a predator problem then i would agree with you . in other words they are designed to keep predators out not to keep chickens in.thank you for your input.

 

[boomerge]

reply to nccatnip: my friend has hers about 18" off the ground with a cement block in front of it ,with the door latched in the open posistion, her chickens have no trouble getting in or out. thanknyou for your input.

 

[joejoe]

Hello boomerge,

I'm wondering if the boxes come in some other color besides that prison looking silver? Maybe forest green to blend in with a yard? Or maybe someone could paint them ....would the box take a different colored finish?

thanks.



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[rooster-red]

Quote:
All chickens scratch the straw around, and chicken poop will fall through a 1/4" hole, particularly if its a slightly runny poop.
Other than that, it does look very secure.

 

[rooster-red]

If you added a false floor to each box, maybe made of hardware cloth, then made a sheet metal pan to fit snuggly between the two floors, that would solve the problem.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Those look like they would house some doves or finches very nicely! I have a similar set up for pigeons, but only two stackable boxes. The floor in mine are plywood and they are just a bit bigger. Too bad you are so far...it looks like those would come in handy, especially in a barn!

 

[boomerge]

reply to joe joe:Yes ,either I or the care giver could paint them any other color that they might require as the boxes are painted with an industrial grade aluminum paint as a rust inhibitor even though the wire is galvanized ! The paint will about double the useful life of the box and seal the wood making it more wheather resitant aluminum paint will work well with any type of paint however I would suggest that you would want to consult with your paint dealer as it is an oil based paint and there might be something I am not aware of. I thank you for your interest and question:cd

 

[boomerge]

Rooster-Red It is 1/4 in. hardware cloth, and I've been using mine now for 3 yrs. and tho I don't clean boxes every day, which allows droppings to dry in hot weather pretty quick. As I mentioned before, I use a garden towel, beings it's small and just pull it out and it goes to burn pile or can be used as a mulch or fertilizer for garden beds. The doors on the cage are big enough for me to have plenty of clearance to clean and retrieve eggs as needed. All my chickens feel very secure in thse cages. And they are only in them at night as around here, that's when predators generally hit. I'm getting one egg per chicken per day. I also use these cages to break up any broody hens that decide they want to set rather than lay. Since using these cages, my loss of chickens has dropped to zero.

 

[boomerge]

Reply to chickerdoodle 13: Those boxes as shown only weigh 97 lbs. So shipping costs should be very reasonable. If needed I can compartmentize to whatever size you require. Please reply with the state you reside in. We're near Houston Tx. I agree, they do need to be weather protected in some manner, however they do provide 100% ventilation for periods of high temperatures. Have friend that uses a tarp for cool or cold temperatures that works very nicely, even in heavy Texas rains. Also a sheet of plywood or similiar mateial plus the tarp is all that is required in a soutnern climate using these boxes.

 

[boomerge]

reply to mr rooster red after rereading your post I relized I missed part of it yes sir I could place a catch tray between the top floor and the bottom box however that would be a custom order .The unit I have shown is a basic unit. I will build to meet the customers needs as I know one size diffently does NOT fit all when it comes to garden chickens.