Chicken Nesting Boxes — ByExample.com. We've modified our chicken nesting boxes and it has made a huge difference in the behavior of our egg laying chickens. Low Egg Production This past fall our egg production numbers fell significantly when our chickens developed a habit for routinely eating eggs. After a bit of research we decided to modify the nesting boxes, from large communal boxes to shoe box size nesting spaces. The birds actually seem to be more comfortable with the smaller nesting boxes. In fact, we had a few birds who used to lay their eggs on the floor instead of in the communal nesting boxes.
After modifying the nesting boxes, all of the birds lay their eggs in the nests. The smaller nesting boxes also prevent the chickens from fouling their nests and kicking the straw onto the floor. Since we made the changes to our nesting boxes 3 months ago we also haven't seen any signs of egg eating by our chickens. Dimensions of Chicken Nesting Boxes Width: 12" Depth: 12" Height: 9" Width: 9" Height: 6" Nest Box Plans. Nite Eyes - Home. Pre-made Automatic Chicken Waterers: Avian Aqua Miser. Corey --- We still have some of our original prototypes in use on our farm, although some also started to have problems around year three or four. Our warranty is good for one year to ensure that you don't have a faulty waterer to begin with.
Longevity will depend in large part on how you care for your waterer. Dropping them repeatedly, leaving them out in the sun, and letting them freeze with water inside will shorten their lives considerably. (Of course, I've done all of that with the waterers I mentioned above, but it's worth noting in case you want to get the very longest life out of your waterers possible.) I especially recommend taking the waterer inside for the night in freezing climates, although what's most likely to break if you don't do so is the plastic container, in which case you can unscrew the nipple and add it to another reservoir. Another option is to use one of our kits to make a heated waterer to prevent winter freezing.
Sustainable agriculture. Forum / Our Hoop House/chicken tractor. I'm sure you've seen hoops houses like this one before, but I thought I would share ours anyway! I am SO excited to finally have it done! We've been using it since this past weekend. We love it and the chickens seem to, too! I was helping my husband build this, but I kept stepping back to take pictures of it along the way. Hubby working on putting the frame together. Putting on the corner braces. Attaching a cattle panel to the frame. Now it's starting to look like something. Putting the chicken wire on. All the chicken wire is on... we're getting there! Almost done - tarp is on & nest boxes and roosts are in. Done - It's now in the pasture field and the chickens are enjoying it! McMurray Hatchery - Chicken Coops, Pens, and Tractors. EASY DIY 4'x6' CHICKEN COOP POULTRY HEN HOUSE by 24lavenderlane.
Frederick Dunn Fred's Fine Fowl Regarding Chickens. Portable chicken coops are handy for several reasons and may serve several purposes for the small flock owner. Below are pictures of just one type of yard ark, or portable coop. You are limited only by your available materials, building skills and imagination. In my part of the country, a portable coop could only be practical in the warmer months.
Winter storms and temperatures in the teens would make it unsuitable for poultry year round. As you look at the pictures below, you'll notice that the roosting box is small. The side screens are 1x2 inch cage wire and the roof material is only 3/16 inch thick. The hen door is lockable and has a strong latch. Portable coops may serve as a year round enclosure if you're in the south or in an area where snow loads are not a problem.
There are ventilation slats at the top sides and interior facing wall of the roost. Buy your own set of detailed prints from this website. Raising BackYard Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Pictures of Breeds. Building a Treadle Feeder I like wild birds. I used to feed them on purpose, but now that I have chickens the wild birds have become a cost and potential risk. The wild birds were eating more of my chicken feed than were the chickens. I dealt with the doves with a shade cloth curtain over the chickens' door but the little sparrows were undeterred. They wormed their way straight through the layers of cloth and get inside. The Plans: I designed the feeder so that it could be largely made from 1/2 sheet of 1/2" plywood, which I had left over from another project. Tools Used: I used a number of tools to build the feeder, but many are interchangeable with other tools.
Making the Cuts and Assembly: I first cut the sheet into two strips, 16" X 48". Once the main pieces were cut, I put it together using clamps. Once it was all together, I started to permanently assemble it. Next, I installed the lip insert for the feeder access area. Things I would change: Costs: Update: Google Image Result for. Bird houses BIG & small. The City Biddy Double WIDE - a perfect coop for those with larger flocks. | uBuilder Plans. Introducing ... The City Biddy Double WIDE Building Plan $24.00 USD - FREE shipping! Perfect for housing a larger flock! Low Cost and Easy to Build! Everything you need in a coop! We decided to meet the challenge and the City Biddy Double WIDE Poultry Coop was born! Every chicken needs a shelter that is safe from predators and protects them from the weather.
Every flock keeper needs a coop that makes work easier and faster. The City Biddy Double WIDE coop is an ideal pastured poultry coop. Now you can take advantage of those "Eggs & Meat" specials that the hatcheries offer. With a bit of adaptation to the basic design, the coop can be used for housing turkeys, broilers or even water fowl. uBuilder plans make it easy!
Finished coop dimensions: 3 ft x 6 ft x 51 inches tall - 18 sq ft of interior space and 4 nest boxes. Urban Farm Concepts. CHICKEN TRACTOR STAGECOACH. Home Page. Chicken Tractor. Being a pastured-based, grass-fed operation has many advantages in terms of protection of the environment, healthiness of our meats, sustainability, and protection of heritage breeds.
One of the major components of this operation is our pastured-poultry operation using our chicken 'tractors', mobile chicken coops on wheels. The beauty of these coops is that they allow us to move the birds around the pasture evenly distributing manure and helping to keep our pastures fertile and clean. Mesh floors allow for good air circulation and a clean environment that rarely requires cleaning, and windows let in lots of light and fresh air. The interior features roosts made of natural treelimbs that accomodate the chickens feet and desire to roost. These roosts fold up to the ceiling to make catching birds easier and when cleaning or repairing the inside of the coop. Our initial attempt at a chicken house was dubbed the Henmaster 1000, and we recently completed our Henmaster 8000.