4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[hilda-and-evadne]

Yesterday, it was Evadne who was caught short while queuing for the nest box and laid her egg on the roosting bars. When this happened to Hilda, her egg was only slightly cracked by the fall, and I gave it to the dog. But Evadne's eggs are larger and heavier than Hilda's, so it broke and its contents and the shell fell through the bars into the poo tray. Such a waste of a lovely egg, though lucky it ended up where the chooks couldn't eat it (the yolk was still intact, when I took out the poo tray to clean it today).

 

So I was thinking, if I make a nest box, do you think that whichever chook couldn't hold her egg in any longer would actually go to the alternative nest box? And how high should I fix it on the inside of the run? The eglu itself sits on a shelf about 70cm from the floor of the run, so do you think the alternative nest box should be at the same level and perhaps near the door of the eglu?

Edited May 10, 2008 by Guest

[hilda-and-evadne]

Well, today Evadne had to lay her egg on the floor of the run. I wasn't there to see it but when I collected the eggs, Hilda's was in the nestbox and still warm whereas Evadne's was cool, so am guessing that Evadne gave up waiting for access to the nestbox.

 

I found a description on the web for making a nesting box and how high to put it so will be doing that tomorrow.

 

http://www.ideas-4-pets.com/articles/build-your-own-chicken-nesting-box-for-your-chicken-coop/

 

except I'll make it 18" x 18" x 12" deep.

[Christian]

As you only have 2 sharing the eglu, why not put the extra box next to the existing one? Then they can chat to each other when laying!

[hilda-and-evadne]

Then they can chat to each other when laying!

 

 

I think I may have to do something else too (not just a separate nesting box) to make it less easy for Hilda to dominate Evadne. When I let them out in the evening, Evadne forages for bugs as if she were starving hungry whereas Hilda mainly piffles around kicking up sticks. Evadne is noticeably slimmer than Hilda, too, and I feel that her being a bit younger doesn't entirely explain it. I may have to put in another feeder and, when giving them afternoon treats, put it in two bowls.

 

Both hens lay eggs with strong shells but Evadne's are larger. Perhaps I should give Evadne some catfood - is one make better than another for chooks?

[Egluntyne]

Why not just put a second grub in the run, as there are only two of them.

 

 

Organic cat food is fine if they have moulted and need the extra protein to re-grow feathers, but it sound as if your girl just needs more pellets.

 

My little Nuggett gets bullied away from the food occasionally.

 

I just remove her from the run and feed her in solitary splendour. She wolfs it down.

[FruitandNutCake]

How big is your run. I don't have an eglu or cube, so don't know how big they are. I just have mine in a big shed and walk in run, and they nest where they want. I have a cardboard box on its side (with straw in it) on the floor of the run , a cat litter tray filled with straw and an old rabbit hutch on the floor of the shed.

 

My three girls each use their own favourite nest box!

[meezers]

As your chook is laying in the run, I wouldn't go to the bother of making a nestbox, she obviously isn't fussy. Could you get a smallish washing up bowl and put shavings/straw in that for her ? that's what I used for mine for the first week or so, they looked quite cosy in it ! You could leave it in the run, if you have a sheltered/covered spot. Or , if you are up in time, you could pop it in the eglu each morning before she lays.

[hilda-and-evadne]

Why not just put a second grub in the run, as there are only two of them.

 

Organic cat food is fine if they have moulted and need the extra protein to re-grow feathers, but it sound as if your girl just needs more pellets.

 

My little Nuggett gets bullied away from the food occasionally.

 

I just remove her from the run and feed her in solitary splendour. She wolfs it down.

 

You read my mind - what better excuse can there be for buying a second grub! I went to the Omlet on-line shop, yesterday, thinking that I would like to buy a lilac glub and grub ready for when I buy a lilac eglu (an inevitability, only the timing is presently unknown ...) to go with my green eglu, but on-line anyway they only have the other colours.

[hilda-and-evadne]

As your chook is laying in the run, I wouldn't go to the bother of making a nestbox, she obviously isn't fussy. Could you get a smallish washing up bowl and put shavings/straw in that for her ? that's what I used for mine for the first week or so, they looked quite cosy in it ! You could leave it in the run, if you have a sheltered/covered spot. Or , if you are up in time, you could pop it in the eglu each morning before she lays.

 

That's a good suggestion - wish I'd thought of it. I might yet do that - today I managed to saw up the wood to make the nesting box but not yet fix them together.

[hilda-and-evadne]

How big is your run. I don't have an eglu or cube, so don't know how big they are. I just have mine in a big shed and walk in run, and they nest where they want. I have a cardboard box on its side (with straw in it) on the floor of the run , a cat litter tray filled with straw and an old rabbit hutch on the floor of the shed.

 

My three girls each use their own favourite nest box!

 

I built a walk-in run which I think measures roughly 2m square. I don't mind Evadne laying elsewhere except when (a) the egg gets broken as soon as it is laid, which is what happened when she dropped it on the roosting bars, or trampled on in the run, which might result in the hens eating it; and I don't want them getting a taste for their own eggs.

[hilda-and-evadne]

Why not just put a second grub in the run, as there are only two of them.

 

I have now ordered a second grub (lilac). This morning, I improvised a sort of trough - out of a short length of terracotta drain pipe that had been cut in half lengthways - with two handfuls of pellets in it and wedged in the run between the wire and a small branch so that it couldn't be tipped over. Both hens started from it, the minute they were let out of the eglu - but Hilda stood on the trough, pretty well covering all the pellets with her foot and allowing Evadne only to eat pellets displaced by her foot and/or beak.

 

I watched them for several minutes and began to think that Hilda has actually trained Evadne not to see the grub as hers to eat from. Hmmn, I know that she is only being a hen but I feel that one could go off Hilda.

 

Two more hens would keep Hilda busy and perhaps give Evadne a break but I have not yet had time to extend the run to allow for two more hens.