Any suggestions on how to get the chickens interested in going in the boxes. I bought 6 and 4 weeks later none of my chickens have seemed interested
603973
Do you have your boxes too high? The bottom of mine are 12 inches from the floor.
603974
I'm actually having the same experience. In 2 weeks I've gotten one egg laid in the new boxes. I've tried showing the boxes to the hens, putting eggs in them, and making the places they are laying less appealing for nesting. Not much luck yet. I am hoping time would help them get more comfortable with the plastic boxes, but based on your experience, maybe not. I'll be interested to see others' answers.
603975
I have six chickens and two boxes. When I first installed the nesting boxes, I had them staggered with one higher than the other. I found the higher box was not used. When I lowered the boxes to be at the same height and nearly touching, I found an egg in both boxes the next afternoon. My girls love them!
603976
I think my chickens didn't like the plastic under their feet, so I took out the straw and put in a layer of pine shavings then put the straw back on top. That seemed to do the trick. Also, hens greatly reduce the number of eggs they lay this time of year anyway because of the decrease in daylight hours. They need 14-15 hours of daylight to lay eggs.
603977
How high up do you have them? Too high & they won't be interested. What do you have in them? Ours prefer straw to shavings. Also, what age are your hens? If they are too young, they won't be interested. And some breeds of chickens just don't set although they'll lay. It took our hens a week or so to start using them & now we find eggs daily in each that we have. Good luck.
603978
Try putting a golf ball or false egg in them, in the straw or woodchip nest you've made. Mine had no problem laying in the boxes.
603979
I bought some wooden eggs and put in the nest boxes. They are laying in them now took awhile.
287385
#1: It took me a while to find the right height - and while I am not sure on the exact measurement - you want the chickens to "reach" up just a little to get to the water. #2: I didn't think my girls were picking up on it at first either, so I would go into the coop a couple times a day and push all the tips up so that there was water on them and sometimes even getting the ground under it a little wet. When the girls would come near, I would make the water drip from the bottom of the bucket so they could see the source. They picked it up within a day or two.
33721
I have seen no other birds at my feeder -just the pretty Finches. I don't know if it's possible, but nome of my other birds have shown any interest. Also, the Finches don't seem as wasteful as the other birds.
1899004
I can't post a link to the user manual that was made by a breeder who thought the manual it came with was a joke (Because you have to create an acct and log in to get to it) but the website is called backyard poultry dot com (all one word, period instead of word "dot"). If you go to it and search the forum for janoel 48, you should find it. You can also go to backyard chickens dot com and do a similar search. Lots more info there, too, and a link was posted to the other website I listed, but again, you have to go to the website and create an acct (it's free) to see the info posted therein. I just went through a few of the better detailed threads and was able to get it to work well enough. Still doesn't beat a broody for success rates, but having the tips will help a lot.
1538685
Joel, We had two chickens in our Eglu Go. I would not put in more. Raccoons figured out how to open the big door. Omlet now offers a new lock so if you have raccoons buy the lock. Ann
1311479
I'll go out tomorrow and check for you. But now that I know a lot more about chicken care (we knew nothing when I bought this) I would spend the money on building supplies to build a much bigger coop that is tall enough to walk into and gives the hens plenty of room. It takes awhile to build and is very difficult to clean the floor because ya just can't get in due to the size. Also, the ladder up to their coop kept falling and we really had to reconstruct it to keep it from collapsing on the poor dears when they walked on it. This Pawhut is cute as a bug when it's all built but you'll never be able to have more than 4 hens in it, and that's pushing it. Look at some home made chicken enclosures and coops and seriously consider building one yourself that you can walk into and around in and expand your chicken family if you want to. These girls (hens) are pretty addicting and are so fun. I just wish I was not limited to 4. BTW, it definitely looks a lot bigger in the photo than it really is.
1671862
We lock them in every night. While the chickens love the ease of getting into the low doorway, it also makes it easier for racoons and the curious opossum. The simple lock stops that. As far as food and water, no. I want them to graze. The variety of grass improves the flavor and color in the yolks. I might change this if the snow piles this winter, like it did last winter.
1070965
Mine is in an 8x8 dog run with roof. Walk in. My coop is off the ground on a simple frame. Chickens have access to all the ground space. I made a ladder to get in the coop.
331719
My parakeets never did take to it. I left it in the cage a couple weeks without them using it, moving it from inside to outside position. Then tried wrapping the slick perch bar to see if that made a difference. I finally took it out and have not used it since.
331723
I would put some seed/pellets in the whole feeder (not just the back but also under the little perch). Stick your hand in there and start picking at the food with your fingers. The Cockatiels should be curious and hungry. That might help them get the idea.
604021
That's what I did. I also had to put chicken wire (i used the plastic kind) across the bottom of the little coop because the hens were digging holes. also I zip tied the 2 sections together because the latches didn't work well. now they are pretty secure.
2257401
I have never understood this saying. Of all the chickens I've ever had, none of them have ever hatched, only their eggs. I will keep watching them though and hope for the best. It will be pretty cool when one of them does!
2116714
Try having the basket in the oil add your pieces of chicken with tongs direct into the oil as you add pause for a second then ease them in this is now you do it in restaurant grade friers
16240
They're smarter than we think. I was just using a bucket of water before "the ladies" were introduced to chicken nipples. They caught on in less than a day, being the curious creatures they are. In short, there is no adult chicken learning curve.
884390
I've had a bit of a problem with them and have had a bit of success with plain scare tactics - like tapping the box when they're in there - and putting only hard seed in like safflower, large sunflower (not black oil) and thistle. I got this from http://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/managing-house-sparrows-and-european-starlings/ in the section on feeding.
1909552
I haven't actually used it yet. But I'm gonna guess you will really stress your chickens with the sound and egg production will go WAY down. Stressed chickens don't lay lots or good quality eggs. Happy chickens do. the sound would be maddening to them.
1131326
If you have a cage with chickens, one facing each direction. We just got one to start to see how it works. So far, so good.