Nest Box Cleaning and DIY

All the old straw and wood shavings that were in the nest boxes went into the compost pile. I rigged up the hose to put out a fine spray over the top of the compost pile that helped keep the dust down. I need to put turning the compost pile on my list of stuff to do.

I asked Morgan and the chickens to pose in front of the compost so the photo wouldn't be so boring. I paid the chickens off with a handful of scratch. Morgan was happy to be in the middle of things. Poor Morgan didn't get a treat.

Using scrap pieces of wood I screwed together a wooden cover for the plastic crate and put it in the middle of the communal nest box. This set up makes for three individual nest areas.







Here is the box with fresh straw. I'm curious to know if the hens will lay eggs in the box tomorrow.







I have tried to divide this box before but ended up taking out the crummy scrap wood. This time I screwed in a series of stakes. I use what I have and I have a bunch of stakes.








And here is the stake box with fresh straw. There is a long piece of plywood that fits behind the wire/wood door when it is closed.







I put another plastic crate in the bottom nest box. Sure hope the chickens are happy with their new nest box arrangement.  When the doors are closed on this side all the nests are nice and dark and cozy.

Eggs... eggs girls... I want eggs.

Peek at the Past

click here

I was busy last year too.

(August 13, 2009)

[4 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Sun Through The Trees

   Sunshine! The sun was very welcome around here today. I even got myself outside for a bit and worked in the coop cleaning out the nest boxes and making plans. I decided I'm going to close up the tall nest boxes after I divide up the communal boxes. That will give me nine nest boxes and allowing for two chickens per box that should be enough for the seventeen hens.

   I scrounged up scrap wood and nailed together the boards to hold some wood ashes in front of the nest boxes. The hens will have to walk through the ashes to go in and out of the coop. I was going to put ashes down, but Tom had added fresh ashes today and I didn't want to worry about any stray coals starting a fire in the straw.  I am also considering making a screen so I can sift the ashes. That would eliminate the stray hot coal problem.

   Knatolee, Knatolee's World, here and Missy, Little Messy Missy, here made great suggestions in the comments yesterday. Why build a dust box when I already have a large plastic container. We bought it originally to hold our first batch of chicks years ago and it has been sitting out in the shed gathering dust. I hauled the tub over to the coop so it would be at hand tomorrow.

   I did clean out the nest boxes and put in new straw. I put the old straw and wood chips out in the pen over the muddy pine. The pine branches worked as a covering until the chickens scratched the mud up on top of the pine and made a muddy piney mess. Photos tomorrow.

   The photo is of the driveway by the gate and I took the picture because a cloud moved away from the sun and everything lit up for awhile. The sun has been playing peek-a-boo.

   I find neat things when I'm searching around and this is an interesting way to make nest boxes. I wouldn't want to buy this set up, but if I had it around it would be neat to convert to a new use. Or if I found it at a garage sale? Nah, I already have my boxes, but for the future? I remember finding this site before once when I was looking at coop designs and someone had used Ikea stuff to make a coop.

Peek at the Past

(February 15, 2009)

Quilt? Snow?

I want snow!

[6 eggs today]

The chickens got strawberry tops for treats today.

~:>

Smiles