Thwarting chicken engineer corps

[Barry42001]

It seems almost inevitable that every time you try and do something inside the chicken coop to make things a little better for the chickens the first thing they do is destroy it if they can't destroy it they defecate on it the defecation I can live with the mangling what you spent hours doing kind of bothers me. I'm just trying to figure out a way to feed the chicken Corps of Engineers

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

I feel ya there. I try to let them out for a free range if I need to do anything or they will surely be there to "help" me. Like then cleaning the coop or run. I rake them a pile in the compost pile or bust out the tiller and turn up some dirt as a distraction. I'm not sure theres a away to keep them for destroying all your hard work. What did they destroy? They are professional mess makers ya know lol

 

[Callender Girl]

Geese are no better. With our recent cold snap, I dug out the electric waterers and installed one in Gussie and Golly's coop (they are awaiting transfer to the new goose house that I have ALMOST finished building). The water wasn't in the coop for an hour when they figured out how to unplug it. When I rearranged the wire-wrapped cord so the plug was just outside the door; they managed to tip over the waterer.

There is now a flexible black rubber dish in their house, and their faithful caretaker runs out several times a day to break the ice out of it.

 

[aart]

the mangling what you spent hours doing kind of bothers me.

What did you do and how did you do it?
Methinks you need to bolster your fabrication techniques.
Ya gotta 'out-engineer' them!

 

[Barry42001]

Perches of tree limbs wire tied and bungee corded together. The nesting boxes on cinder blocks wire tied to coop fencing. Angled fence boards to prevent chickens from perching on top of nesting boxes fouling the top. So chicken engineer Corp dug under cinder blocks nearly destabilizing nest boxes lol still not certain how they managed to collapse some of the perches

 

[aart]

Well, wire can be fine depending on installation....bungies, not so much.

The excavating is indeed frustrating!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/excavation-by-birds-a-word-of-warning.1086535/
I've found that putting 2x8x16 pavers under vertical concrete blocks does wonders to quell them.

I had to put 2x8x16 pavers vertically (8" down) held in place with 18" rebar to keep them from digging under the run door threshold.
Before the reinforcements....need to get an 'after' pic:

 

[Barry42001]

Lol yeah they do like to dig. Many a time would see chickens in their " foxholes " with only their head showing above ground. Have to watch of twist a ankle. Will try what you illustrate thanks for the idea.

 

[Chickassan]

Don't stack your nestboxes, low ones aren't worth climbing on and don't seem to be worth crapping on. Don't wire or bungee anything, zipties and screws are fairly destruction proof. Just tips from a lady with an eleven member wrecking crew.

 

[Barry42001]

Is a flock of over 28 birds lol need nesting boxes 1 roo he's a happy boy

 

[Chickassan]

You can have boxes, just keep them ground level. Line them up along the wall or something. One rooster for twenty eight ladies? I'd bet he's a tired boy as well.

Is a flock of over 28 birds lol need nesting boxes 1 roo he's a happy boy