Chickens

[bankedout]

We can discuss chickens here.

[bankedout]

I have 2 laying hens and 2 pullets (not old enough to lay).

They are a bit bored. I think they really just want to go outside. I hung a cabbage from the ceiling for them to peck at. However they have developed a bad habit of eating their own eggs!

They are laying on average one egg every other day, which I think is good without giving them artificial light. However, I have only recovered 1 egg that wasn't eaten. They are on odd schedules of laying right now. Maybe still adjusting from the move? So I can't time myself to get the freshly laid eggs.

Still they are entertaining. The eggs are extra jumbo.

[dg]

I have very bad news for you. According to what I have read thus far, once a chicken starts eating eggs, it will never stop the habit. And other chickens will learn from it to do the same. The solution is to immediately separate the egg eaters from the rest of the flock; and to use them for alternate purposes (if you know what I mean). SO if they are all doing it, consider starting over this spring with new chicks. Get your order in to your local feed store around presidents day.

Better luck with the next flock!

[bankedout]

I need a little surveillance camera to find out which one(s) are eating eggs!

Killing and prepping a chicken for eating is a bit of a job. I don't know if it is worth it for an egg layer.

[dg]

From what I understand, hens tend to be less favored for eating once they put on a little age. Yet, unless they become a pet, an egg eater becomes a total liability to the flock and a waste of feed. Taken care of right, they can live to the ripe old age of 12; yet their egg laying practice falls off quickly after 2 years of age.

Do they make muzzles for hens? If so, you could muzzle them when you tuck them in at night and unmuzzle them when you collect eggs in the morning. Something to think about.

Here's a wild idea. Make each nest in a structure with the form of a funnel with a trap door for which an egg placed in the center will drop or roll down into a padded basement compartment that becomes out of sight/reach of the hen. We can put in a joint patent on it if it proves out. Here's a sketch:



As an afterthought, place a couple of handles at the top of the inner case that rest on the outer case top edge to make egg gathering easy. Also make sure that eggs pass all the way through the rubber drain guard reliably with only their weight to force the issue (cut to weaken as necessary).

[dg]

sketch redone ...

[dg]

further revisions ....

replace inner case with a plastic collander with outer flange and hole cut in center. (you might not need the rubber slitted drain guard).
replace outer case with short bucket (or sawed-off flower pot) that matches collander such that collander flange sits on top edge with all else inside. Flange supports collander from falling into bucket.
foam line bottom interior of bucket with high point in center and low area near edge (such that eggs are protected from drop and then roll to edge). A cut piece of plastic foam material would be ideal, but a pile of packaging "peanut foam" pieces or sifted sand would probably do the trick.

critical design constraint: chicken head and neck must not be capable of reaching egg (through opening) when in final resting position.

[dg]

another afterthought ...

if using the rubber drain guard, mount on inside surface of collander -- not on outside surface as shown in drawing. Idea is to protect egg from hard edge and slow descent into bucket.

[bankedout]

Keeping small flocks of chickens is becoming popular. You could consider selling something like this on eBay. Maybe I can be the test subject. It does look interesting and should work well.

[dg]

I will be getting 6 chicks in late march or early april. It will take another 6 months before I have egg layers. I now plan to make all my nests per the anti-egg eater design. I figure this way they will not learn to become egg eaters in the first place.

Until then, you are the first test subject. Your task, should you decide to accept it, is to show that egg eater hens can be saved for their original purpose by using nests designed to prevent egg eating. (" ... of course, as usual, should you or any members of your force be caught or captured, the secretary will disavow all knowlege of your actions." -- accompanied by theme music from MISSION IMPOSSIBLE). HE HE HE

Be sure to take photos; and good luck. I hope that this will save your hens.

[dg]

another design afterthought ...

If using sand, you could place a tennis ball in the center partially inserted in the sand so that it doesn't move when struck by eggs.

[bankedout]

I checked eBay and found 1 style of egg saver box for sale:

cgi.ebay.com/EGG-SAVER-NEST-BOX-STANDARD-BREEDS-/160527830836?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2560344f34

1 set of plans for a complicated nest box:

cgi.ebay.com/Chicken-nest-box-w-rear-egg-roll-out-PLANS-MUST-SEE-/280610364184?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4155ae5b18

I don't know how well either of them are selling.

I'll try to get some supplies to build your design soon & let you know how it works.

[dg]

It appears that the commercial designs on ebay would not work if there were nesting materials inside the box. Otherwise, they ought to work fine. They have the advantage of easy access to the eggs.

BTW, even with my design you should incorporate an outer box of the usual design. This could be made of wood or even cardboard. Because of the extra depth required for my design, you might want to provide a ramp type ladder to the hole. Alternatively, you could have a second flange on the outer case (bucket or pot) that would rest on a nesting floor board hole that reduces height of nest relative to the floor that the nest box sits on. then no ladder would be necessary.

Seeing that others have already thought of the basic concept, I don't expect there to be any reason to explore commercial applications of my design. We can just use it for ourselves and our friends. Look how much use we can get out of a box with a hole in it, a collander, a bucket or flower pot and a shaped piece of plastic foam (or sand and a tennis ball). HE HE HE And it just might save our hens from an early grave.

[dg]

okay, let's integrate box and nest into one design like this ...



Uh, looks like I should have also included a lid support at right upper left, similar to the shelf supports; either that or make the lid a tad extra long to overhang the front wall (thus resting upon it).

And as an after thought, one could design a side panel that hinges side outward (or slides forward) from below the shelf for easy egg access without disassembly. Or better, do it from the front to hinge forward, bottom up, and use the ramp as a handle (and place the shelf supports on the sides instead of front and back). Otherwise, you could get at the eggs by lifting the collander nest assembly -- coming in from the top.

[dg]

perhaps we've made this issue more complex than need be. read this before gong forward:

www.byexample.com/homestead/barn/chicken_nesting_boxes.html