Shipping Crate Part 3 -- It's an egg-layer!

[supercoops]

I tidied up the coop box, and I added two roosts on Tuesday to service 5 hens and 1 rooster. Then I got an egg yesterday and two eggs today. The roosts are crates turned on their side.

This box has been the subject of two previous threads. Oddly, nobody mentioned it could make a stand-alone egg-layer, and it makes a good one. Windows, vents, ventilation, etc are irrelevant to an egg-layer-- the hens only stay in there a few minutes, and they want a dark place according to all the literature I've read.

If a dog happens to get into the egg-layer he's still outside of the pen. Dogs have been unable to breach the fence.





Crate to stand alone egg-layer.



Two eggs in egg-layer today. 5 hens total.



Two new roosts next to egg layer.


I expanded the run areas and added 6 total roosts. I have 20 total chickens. The chickens fly out of the run on the right side so I blocked the access door until I can fence in the top.

 

[supercoops]

4 eggs out of 5 hens today. Not bad! The "egg outhouse" system appears to be working.


Eggs found in the afternoon, and they were all laid together by different hens.






Today's egg collection -- they taste much better than store bought eggs.

 

[waynem1983]

So this is still just a crate?

What happpened to the coop design, was interested in its progression.

 

[supercoops]

So this is still just a crate?

What happpened to the coop design, was interested in its progression.

I sold two egg-layer/brooder boxes on Saturday to backyard chicken growers with hawk problems. I charged $70 US (41 British Pounds). Their dogs don't bother chickens, so lid security was not a concern to them.

Both customers will start with baby chicks, so I included some low elevation roosting pole "training wheels" in the boxes. As the chickens mature the boxes will be converted to egg-layers by removing the roosting poles. The chickens will roost in a separate building and the egg-layer sets out in the middle of the yard where it's quiet, it's easy to get to, and it's away from most of the chicken activities for the day.

I switched the lid so it opens from the opposite side versus the pictures. The box in the picture has a friction hinge design which was the first box to sell. It went to an experienced chicken grower. She liked the way the lid clamped into position versus the other box with two metal hinges and a metal roof. The hinged lid also requires a prop bar like what you typically see in other designs, and I prefer that design, but you can not totally remove the lid which can be handy for cleaning.










Next I'll design a roost tower. It's the same crate but it lays on its side. The lid is hung from the top with hinges and locking lever arms keep it shut. It's elevated to about head level with 2x4 leg poles. You open the cover about halfway to rake out the used bedding.

Each roost tower can take 3 to 5 chickens, and I think the egg box is plenty large enough for 10 chickens, and possibly as many as 15.