When will these freeloaders start paying the rent?!?

[mobius]

How many chickens? You doing good! To create a little more interest you could put some nesting box herbs in those boxes...not a lot, maybe a handful in each box...but they ALSO help with insects: suggest lavender, oregano, bergamot (aka bee balm), lemongrass, marigold flowers, chamomile, basil..whatever you might have lying around. Fresh or dry is fine.

Maybe some rose petals

Also I hung valance curtains across front of boxes...they like it dark and cosy...just stapled on an old pillowcase across two nest boxes actually...covered about half of the opening from top down....fit perfectly...

 

[DrFeathers]

1. Six hens (BR, 2x EEs, Buff orp, Gold sex link, silver Laced Wyandotte)
2. My wife, aka The Boss, read somewhere that the box herbs were more for people fun and made no difference to the birds - have you found otherwise?

How many chickens? You doing good! To create a little more interest you could put some nesting box herbs in those boxes...not a lot, maybe a handful in each box...but they ALSO help with insects: suggest lavender, oregano, bergamot (aka bee balm), marigold flowers, chamomile, basil..whatever you might have lying around. Fresh or dry is fine.

Maybe some rose petals

Also I hung valance curtains across front of boxes...they like it dark and cosy...just stapled on an old pillowcase across two nest boxes actually...covered about half of the opening from top down....fit perfectly...

 

[mobius]

Two boxes should be fine, I have six chix as well.

As far as the herbs, this may be true re: human benefit but lavender and chamomile have a calming effect I think regardless and I know my birds enjoyed them. Also the insect repellent benefit can't be ruled out. I also put herbs in their dust bath. When i do this they are all in the dust bath checking it out and talking to each other....and rolling around...

 

[treslilbirds]

I bet she'll be laying before you know it. I will say this though. My Alpha leghorn was the absolute last out of my six to lay. Heck, my other leghorn was number 3 lol. But Miss Alpha Chicken also has the biggest reddest comb of the bunch. She's the one in my avatar pic. I couldn't believe it took her that long. She was also super flighty before she started laying. Bedtime was a pain in the butt, trying to corral her bad self. But now she just goes into the egg crouch and I can pick her up and snuggle her all I want.

 

[mobius]

egg crouch (great term), submissive squat, it all the same... then we can catch them and give them wattle massages....one of mine laid her head on my shoulder when I did this, and gave me a tiny kiss.

 

[DrFeathers]

20 weeks now. Still nada. Taco (the BR) started crouching the other day when you pet her so we thought this weekend for sure. Oh well.

 

[mobius]

within two weeks

 

[DrFeathers]

Taco: "Hey... watcha eatin'? Is that an egg laid by somebody else?"
Chicken Dad: "YES! YES IT IS!!!"

 

[DrFeathers]

Rent paid.

 

[treslilbirds]