Wood vs. plastic for nest boxes?

[jlwquilter]

I agree with the avoid plastic when possible (I need to work on that a lot more!) but I also recycle - my icing buckets were trash from Walmart and the tidy cat litter buckets were literally out of someone’s roadside garbage pick up pile. Eventually they will go back to the garbage dump of course.

 

[Manhen]

I agree with the avoid plastic when possible (I need to work on that a lot more!) but I also recycle - my icing buckets were trash from Walmart and the tidy cat litter buckets were literally out of someone’s roadside garbage pick up pile. Eventually they will go back to the garbage dump of course.

Do you have zip lock baggies and saran wrap in your kitchen? Styrofoam egg cartons? We can't win.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree with the avoid plastic when possible (I need to work on that a lot more!) but I also recycle - my icing buckets were trash from Walmart and the tidy cat litter buckets were literally out of someone’s roadside garbage pick up pile. Eventually they will go back to the garbage dump of course.

Those are recyclable though.

Same with my dishpans. I got ones with the recycle symbol on the bottom.

 

[aart]

I got ones with the recycle symbol on the bottom.

Unfortunately...that's no guarantee anymore.

 

[Manhen]

Those are recyclable though.

Same with my dishpans. I got ones with the recycle symbol on the bottom.

The only way to beat it is to not only "re-use", but "keep using".

 

[21hens-incharge]

Unfortunately...that's no guarantee anymore.

True but still better than not trying at all.

 

[Almosta Farm]

Good morning from Bedfordshire, UK.

I would love to hear your opinions on nest boxes please! Currently we have two pairs of traditional wooden nest boxes which have been in the chicken shed for most of my life. They are lovely and the chickens like them well enough but they are starting to disintegrate and I am wondering what to replace them with. Do many of you use plastic boxes?

Since our chicken coop is an old shed, most of it is wood. This last summer I had a constant, very tough battle with mites and I think that replacing wood for plastic where possible would help me, plus would be more hygienic for cleaning. However there is something so nice about the traditional wood boxes (they also look nice but that's a minor consideration). I did consider getting some more wood ones and then maybe using some sort of plastic tray/liner as a compromise.

What do you like best?

I've tried a little bit of everything, but my hens prefer plain ol' cardboard boxes with the front cut out and hay inside. When they get too badly soiled, they go in the compost bin and I put out another one.

 

[Michelle29063]

I use cat litter boxes that have a cover on them with pine shavings. Super easy to clean.

 

[gtaus]

Unfortunately...that's [recycle plastics] no guarantee anymore.

Yep, from what I've seen, lots of that plastic just ends up in third world countries in their landfills. The only recycle I believe in is something I can compost myself. I do my best to Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle - in that order.

 

[BDutch]

I have bought a simpel chicken coop with run like tis one for rabbits I used to have.

After the rabbits I bought bantams (bigger chickens font fit in it). I remade the coop for more chickens. But the nestboxes are still great after 7 or 8 years after putting EPDM on top.

Always trying to reuse things too. Wood is great for reuse. Plastic thing aren’t. It wears out quickly by sunlight, freezing etc.

you can buy single nestboxes to attach on an existing coop: