When to remove nesting box blocks.

[moniquem]

That is small! There are tons of ideas on this site for building coops. Some are really intricate and some are easy using recycled material. I personally love the recycled kids playhouses!

 

[aart]

Thanks for all your feedback. They are getting booted tonight. I think I allowed it because I only have a prefab coop with only 5 sq feet of coop space, not including the nest boxes, for 3 hens.We are planning on expanding this but it may not be for a few months. They have a sand covered 8x12 run which seems to work out well for them but I worry about the smallness of the actual coop.

Post a pic of the prefab....you may be able to make the whole thing a coop for winter.
The run in your avatar looks great, some winterizing of the run walls to block wind and snow should get you thru.

 

[Whitepinefarm]

That is small! There are tons of ideas on this site for building coops. Some are really intricate and some are easy using recycled material. I personally love the recycled kids playhouses!

Thank you. Going to work on enlarging the coop. Here is a picture of my chicks enjoying their new run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The run looks great! You could possibly build a new coop into the run in a corner, that would give you the coop space needed. For just the 3 birds a 4x4 unit shouldn't be too hard to put in.

 

[aart]

The run looks great! You could possibly build a new coop into the run in a corner, that would give you the coop space needed. For just the 3 birds a 4x4 unit shouldn't be too hard to put in.

Yes, it might be easier to build a new coop inside that run than to modify the prefab.
Save the prefab for adding chicks down the road, or as a hospital/isolation coop, store it out of the weather if possible or even put it outside wrapped in a tarp.

 

[gator75]

Birds need to be taught early on to sleep in their coop on the perch. Mine are never allowed to sleep where they lay.

 

[Capoken]

Well I removed the board blocking the nesting boxes. I put down some astro-turf liners I heard good things about and put the fake eggs in there. And the next morning, the nesting boxes were loaded with poop. All three of them - lots and lots of it.

So I cleaned things up and put the board back. I think I'll give it a week and then try blocking the nest boxes only at night. I think a milk jug half filled with water in each box will work, and will be easy to remove every morning.

 

[aart]

Well I removed the board blocking the nesting boxes. I put down some astro-turf liners I heard good things about and put the fake eggs in there. And the next morning, the nesting boxes were loaded with poop. All three of them - lots and lots of it.

So I cleaned things up and put the board back. I think I'll give it a week and then try blocking the nest boxes only at night. I think a milk jug half filled with water in each box will work, and will be easy to remove every morning.

Had they been sleeping on the roost previously to removing nest block?
I always check after dark and remove them from the nest to the roost,
or block nests an hour before dark then remove block after dark when I lock up.
They may be able to squeeze past a milk jug.

 

[Whitepinefarm]

Had they been sleeping on the roost previously to removing nest block?
I always check after dark and remove them from the nest to the roost,
or block nests an hour before dark then remove block after dark when I lock up.
They may be able to squeeze past a milk jug.

I put 2 substantial blocks of wood into their nesting boxes last night. When I went to check on them later they had squeezed past the wood and all 3 were almost strangling themselves in the tiny amount of space around the block of wood. I removed the wood from both boxes and will try something different tonight. Wish me luck.

 

[Capoken]

Had they been sleeping on the roost previously to removing nest block?
I always check after dark and remove them from the nest to the roost,
or block nests an hour before dark then remove block after dark when I lock up.
They may be able to squeeze past a milk jug.

They start off the night in a pile in the corner. When I open the coup in the morning they are on the poles. I'm not sure at what time of night they go from the chicken pile to the poles. I will find adequate sized container and put enough weight in it so the chickens won't be able to get in there. I also heard that nest box curtains can be used to prevent entry into the boxes at night. I'd like to come up with a clever way to close the curtains without having to crawl into the coup (4' X 4', approx, ground level)