I found an old basket with a broken handle that mom was going to burn today, tore the handle off & filled it with nesting stuffs. Had 4 of the girls stuffed into it tonight so i guess its going to work alright. I wanted some of those milk crates but to buy them here its expensive. Wooden ones at least. Do plastic ones work as well? I have some of those & some pop bottle crates that are plastic.
A Peek Into Haystacks Amazing Coop
Hi Greykyttyn: Some of mine are recycle bins, It is amazing what works. Last year I went to the second hand store and bought six wicker baskets, they sold for $1.99 ea the girls love them. In fact one of the wicker baskets they fight over all the time. Sometimes it will have three hens in it at the same time and they are all pushing each other around. I have taken as many as a doz eggs from it while several others are empty. I just finished building a nesting box that has eight nests in it. I installed it two days ago and found five eggs in them today. I went to a recycle place called the restore. I paid six dollars for the lumber and only used half of it. The girls took to it faster than any other nest I have put up. I'll take a pic and post it tomorrown on this thread
Thank you for your kind words Gwendalou: It was such a pleasure to meet you and your neice. I look forward to hearing great stories from you about your girls soon. Haystack
My chicken coop is inside an old big barn. They have a doggy door they walk out into the exercise pen through. The back of the coop has three nesting box areas. Is that enough for 12 hens? The way it's set up if they lay in them it will be much easier for us to retrieve the eggs especially in the winter. I'd rather have the boxes inside the barn than put something up out in their pen. Do they have a preference for laying inside or out? My hens haven't started laying yet and probably won't till September.
Thanks,
Brenda
Hi Loon!! How nice to hear from you again. I was wondering where you went, don't be a stranger. I know little to nothing about your weather and such, but I would think that might play a big role in where you would put your nesting boxes. All my nests are conviently place close to the waterers and feeders. In or out probably isn't as much an issue as comfort and a sense of privacy. I have some high, some low, some here, some there. They are funny critters. They will let you know if they don't like them. If they stay unused, well rejection has set in. LOL
Brenda did the explanation of the deep litter help at all? Just wondering? Have a great time with your girls. Hay
Your set up sounds good and yes that should be enough nests!!! :o)
This message was edited Jun 25, 2009 8:19 AM
Yes, I liked your explantion of the deep litter. I am planning on converting one of the stalls in the old barn into a winter exercise pen when it gets too cold for the hens to be outside. I'll pile up as much straw as I can and I have no shortage of leaves to add to it. I'll have to enclose it a little bit better so they can't fly all over the barn. I'm trying to think of a way to make it so they can have their choice of going to the outside pen or the inside pen but I have till the end of the year to figure out something.
They sure like me to pull them up grass and give it to them. I've been giving them a little bit of kitchen scrap too and they love it. I am enjoying the chickens but I still haven't touched one yet. :) My husband is their main caretaker.
Loon, you don't know what you're missing! I love holding my chickens. :) They calm me... just something about them.
I am just sort of afraid to hold them. I'm not sure they like it either. I may try to put something yummy in my hand to see if I can get them to eat out of my hand first. :)
I would start with having your hubby give you one of the birds.. showing you how to keep them from flapping their wings.. and just sit down and pet it on your lap. When they settle down and rest.. its like they turn on the heater! LOL so warm and relaxing.. My Serama was sitting on my arm I was rubbin his lil chest, it was so relaxing he was closing his eyes.. then the first thing I knew, my head was doing the "nods" I was falling asleep too!!!!! LOL
If you feed from the palm of your hand.. that might hurt if they peck skin. Try a piece of bread, or some veggie, and let them tear off pieces...
When they get used to you and come over for their evening lap session, it's the cutest thing ever!
I can't get any of them to want to sit on my lap but i've got one Buff Orpington that likes to sit on my foot, hang on to the flip flops strap & "ride" as i carry the feed to the concrete slab i feed them on. I'm guessing in another 6 months she's going to be kinda heavy & I should break her of it now but its sooo cute. I swear Sage (the roo) flogs me just so I"ll carry him around for awhile. I think i mistakenly trained him into this. They are so much fun. I love it when they come up & talk to you.