rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

I've thought about this one.

Laying Nest

A budget-friendly roll-out nesting box for up to 6 hens. Also has legs for nesting ducks.

www.premier1supplies.com

The reviews I read were on amazon...not exactly a fountain of quality, I guess. Frequent complaints of that on different models.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I've thought about this one.

Laying Nest

A budget-friendly roll-out nesting box for up to 6 hens. Also has legs for nesting ducks.

www.premier1supplies.com

The reviews I read were on amazon...not exactly a fountain of quality, I guess. Frequent complaints of that on different models.

At $30 I would consider trying one to see of it works...but I wonder if your freezing temperatures would make the plastic brittle ?

 

[rachels.haven]

Quite possible, but I'd be willing to try. If I don't have to take them down to wash them when a feast happens it's a lot less likely they'll break.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Quite possible, but I'd be willing to try. If I don't have to take them down to wash them when a feast happens it's a lot less likely they'll break.

Don't the eggs roll to the covered back where the chickens can't reach them ?

 

[Baymule]

Build your own.

New rollout nest design Picture heavy-edited 1/21

Many of you have gotten my plans for a 2 unit rollout nest box and I have talked with several others about how to modify the plan to make it even larger. I have been using a box that has 6 nests and for the past year it has worked beautifully. Recently I have noticed several birds trying to...

www.backyardchickens.com

 

[rachels.haven]

If they let them and the box hides them well enough. I'd read reports that hens learn to stick their heads down the shoot and get into ALL the eggs, or a few reports of "egg catching" BUT if this one is designed right, I shouldn't have to take them down and rattle them around to clean up after egg feasts. I'll think about getting 2 of them and trying them out. If they can't do that, the risk of breaking them in the cold is less. I'd also like to get one more of their "X-tough 1 sided hay feeders" to use for the goats. I really like them. AND premier 1 is the cheapest place to get decent carabiners. I should be able to make the free shipping cut off if I do decide to try the boxes.

The nest boxes are still back ordered. Drat. Maybe I'll just keep waiting and thinking for a while then.

...OR I could get an incubator and do that thing again. That is always an option.

Building my own is an option. I wouldn't even have to be that careful.There are nest box pads that adapt boxes to be rollouts. I'd just need time.

Roll Out Tray with Flap for Nesting Boxes

Roll-out tray prevents hens from eating or soiling the eggs. For use with a ChickBox or as a DIY component in your own nesting box.

www.premier1supplies.com

 

[rachels.haven]

The issue is, it costs around $50-75 to replace 14 hens and a rooster. I'm thinking it will cost more than that to revamp the nest boxes to rollouts. But I still get to keep my stock. Lots to think about.

 

[Bruce]

The nest boxes are pretty much forever. What happens if you eat your $75 worth of current chickens, replace them and happen to get more egg eaters? I guess I've been really lucky to never have had an egg eater!

 

[rachels.haven]

Yeah, this is only my second time having egg eaters, and the first time was REALLY obvious. She'd hover by the nests all day, beat up the hens in the nest box to kick them out, and gorge and she was non laying and FAT, FAT, FAT from all the eggs when I butchered her...like, I'm not sure how she was still alive with an abdominal cavity that packed full of a softball sized wad of fat,and fat on everything else. It tested my stomach, that butchering. I still remember the texture and how I couldn't even find her intestines at first Egg eating is not good for hens.

I may still get the roll outs, but I have to admit, it makes me a little sad to have to take their eggs away before they've had a chance to brag about them in their egg songs, and sit on and horde all of them when they lay, and contemplate being broody and turning into a t-rex. It's part of being an annoying chicken. I'll go stew (think) some more.

 

[rachels.haven]

GAH. What happened to the price of Prohibit soluble powder? Last year at some point I bought a packet to use in case of emergency. Went back to jeffers to look for any extra info other than packet back. I can tell you I think I spent about $45-75, not $215. That's got to be a glitch. They have to have accidently combined product pages or something. It's $30 on caprine supply.