San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Artificial turf screwed or fastened down in the corners for egg protection.... You could also use a regular roll out nest box pad. Those you can buy online pretty inexpensively.

 

[Phage]

OMG OMG OMG
Just got a tracking # from GFF. Our Cream legbar chicks are on their way

together with some SFH chicks to make up the minimum order. Will post pics as soon as they arrive.

Love the egg box. How big is it? It looks huge.

That fake grass is a brilliant idea Deb

 

[flower]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
Artificial turf screwed or fastened down in the corners for egg protection.... You could also use a regular roll out nest box pad. Those you can buy online pretty inexpensively.

humm The problem is that my nest boxes are built into the little coops. So if I separate them, put in artificial turf cloth, my birds may lay in the boxes and not sleep in them.

Arrrrrghhhh another big adaption to my plans. humm do you think that if I just put the turf stuff into the box, they may roost elsewhere like they are suppose to ?​

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
How many Legbars are you getting? They're coming early aren't they!! That's a nice surprise

Did you ever get an outside brooder set up?

 

[Phage]

Quote:
How many Legbars are you getting? They're coming early aren't they!! That's a nice surprise

Did you ever get an outside brooder set up?

3 girls and one boy!! Yes they are early! (and hopefully means eggs by April)

They are being shared with a friend as I should not keep roosters - not because they are not allowed, just I don't want to annoy anyone, and I have some picky neighbors who don't appreciate the hens as it is (lowers tone of neighborhood blah blah blah.......)

I bought a shed as an outside brooder, but have not set it up yet. These guys are going into the house!!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
I have indeed tried the fake egg trick, nothing I have tried thus far has worked, and it's only three of my chickens that are egg eating, (my original favorite ones) so I didn't want to resort to culling them.

I made it from plans here on BYC, that granted weren't the greatest, and that's why I did put "prototype"... just to see how it works. The box is 26" long (including the separate trough) and like 20" tall. If I was to make it again I wouldn't make it nearly as tall, maybe 3-4 inches shorter, and the back I would make about 3-4" longer so I know they couldn't reach them.

But here is what I am thinking (well hoping actually)... that even if they can reach the eggs just a little bit, they either won't see them and then forget about them, OR they won't be able to get good trajectory angle to peck them open. The opening really isn't that big... I didn't measure, but maybe 1.5 inches also.

The bottom does have a fair amount of pitch. I'm not sure how to figure out the exact angle but it's 1.5 inches taller in the front. That's what the plans suggested.

Hopefully it works!

If not there are some easy modifications I can do to make the back trough bigger that don't involve me taking the whole thing apart again.

The girls are not laying again yet, but I know they ARE nesting around in them as the hay is all smashed down, so hopefully I will start getting eggs soon.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I have indeed tried the fake egg trick, nothing I have tried thus far has worked, and it's only three of my chickens that are egg eating, (my original favorite ones) so I didn't want to resort to culling them.

I made it from plans here on BYC, that granted weren't the greatest, and that's why I did put "prototype"... just to see how it works. The box is 26" long (including the separate trough) and like 20" tall. If I was to make it again I wouldn't make it nearly as tall, maybe 3-4 inches shorter, and the back I would make about 3-4" longer so I know they couldn't reach them.

But here is what I am thinking (well hoping actually)... that even if they can reach the eggs just a little bit, they either won't see them and then forget about them, OR they won't be able to get good trajectory angle to peck them open. The opening really isn't that big... I didn't measure, but maybe 1.5 inches also.

The bottom does have a fair amount of pitch. I'm not sure how to figure out the exact angle but it's 1.5 inches taller in the front. That's what the plans suggested.

Hopefully it works!

If not there are some easy modifications I can do to make the back trough bigger that don't involve me taking the whole thing apart again.

The girls are not laying again yet, but I know they ARE nesting around in them as the hay is all smashed down, so hopefully I will start getting eggs soon.

Have you tried boosting their protein up I have heard that egg eating is a symptom... Just a thought and I am sure you have tried everything.

deb

 

[SD_Paulo]

Quote:
I have indeed tried the fake egg trick, nothing I have tried thus far has worked, and it's only three of my chickens that are egg eating, (my original favorite ones) so I didn't want to resort to culling them.

I made it from plans here on BYC, that granted weren't the greatest, and that's why I did put "prototype"... just to see how it works. The box is 26" long (including the separate trough) and like 20" tall. If I was to make it again I wouldn't make it nearly as tall, maybe 3-4 inches shorter, and the back I would make about 3-4" longer so I know they couldn't reach them.

But here is what I am thinking (well hoping actually)... that even if they can reach the eggs just a little bit, they either won't see them and then forget about them, OR they won't be able to get good trajectory angle to peck them open. The opening really isn't that big... I didn't measure, but maybe 1.5 inches also.

The bottom does have a fair amount of pitch. I'm not sure how to figure out the exact angle but it's 1.5 inches taller in the front. That's what the plans suggested.

Hopefully it works!

If not there are some easy modifications I can do to make the back trough bigger that don't involve me taking the whole thing apart again.

The girls are not laying again yet, but I know they ARE nesting around in them as the hay is all smashed down, so hopefully I will start getting eggs soon.

I figured you had done your homework I hope they work out for you and your ladies! Keep us posted on the results and your findings.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

perchie.girl :

Have you tried boosting their protein up I have heard that egg eating is a symptom... Just a thought and I am sure you have tried everything.

deb


Yep had them all on Turkey feed for a couple months. No difference.

Quote:

Will do! I'll also post if I have to modify it in any way.

​

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
Artificial turf screwed or fastened down in the corners for egg protection.... You could also use a regular roll out nest box pad. Those you can buy online pretty inexpensively.


Great ideas guys, thank you. I will play around with different materials and see what works. Thanks again!​