Tag: nest boxes

View Over 1,400 Different Types of Chicken Coops, and More

Which coop is right for your needs? That’s a question only you can answer. The only perfect coop is the one that’s suitable for your specific needs. You’ll need to take into consideration the climate where you live, how much space you have for a coop, and how large it needs to be to comfortably house your birds.
I’ve said it many times, but I’ll say it again, the more coop space the better. Always build bigger than what you think is adequate, especially if your chickens will be confined. Remember, happy chickens fill the egg basket!
Keep in mind that a coop should be convenient for you to clean. One you can stand up in is a huge plus. At the very least, a coop should be an easy to access drinkers, feeders, and of course, fresh eggs. Bedding material should be just as easy to remove as it is to refresh. That means your coop door should be large enough for a standard-sized rake to fit through.
Follow the links below to view a collection of over 1,000 different types of chicken coops. I’ve also collected 100’s of drinkers, feeders, roost types, brooders, and nest box ideas.

Chicken Coops

Chicken Keeping Essentials

Back to Chicken Keeping Resources HOME PAGE

Custom Nest Boxes!

Coop improvements are never-ending, aren’t they? One little change always seems to lead to another. Maybe this time I had a little something to do with that. I ordered a ridiculous amount of chicks this fall and although I have enough space to accommodate the numbers, the nest box situation came up short.
I must have complained enough to my husband about this self-inflicted problem, and just look at what he built for me!  What a guy!

nest boxxes 101615

Anything new of substantial size in the hen house means some serious rearranging of everything inside. Needless to say, I’ve spent the last few days in a chicken coop. But it was so worth it!
Do I dare mention to hubby that my grow pens are full and I’m expecting a bunch of Mille Fleurs in a few weeks?

Back to Chicken Keeping Resources HOME PAGE

Broody Hens in the Coop

A Solution… For When the Broodies Take Over the Nests

Sometimes broody hens can take over the nest area and not let any other members of the flock enter the hen house or their nests. That means the other hen’s routine is upset and this can interrupt or even stop egg production.
It’s better to move the broodies to a confined area. But if you don’t have a separate area suitable for them, sometimes it’s just better to go with the flow and put extra nest boxes in the coop for the others. This is a much better idea than to let them find a place on their own, because what you’ll be doing in that case is going on an everyday egg hunt!

Nest Box

As you can see, members of the existing flock will rather quickly claim the new extra nest boxes and egg production will eventually resume. One way or the other, problem solved! To help them along, a ceramic egg or golf ball in the box often helps lure them in.
Simple? Probably not, it’s almost inevitable that two hens will claim the same box!  So put out a few!

Back to Chicken Keeping Resources HOME PAGE
%d bloggers like this: