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["Gloria Morris" <gloriamorris59 AT gmail.com>]

I'm finally getting around to putting in facilities for chickens at my
still new homestead. In the past I've built nests from wood. I've seen
many mentions of using flat sided buckets as nests, however, and that
idea appeals to me. It seems to me that bucket nests would be really
easy to clean. I've been pondering how to make the nest feel sturdy to
its user - I wonder if she would object if the nest wiggles when she
walks in to lay her egg. Certainly, my wooden nests never did that!
Therefore, I'm thinking I will need to secure the bucket in some
fashion. Nailing it to the hen house would make it immobile, but also
less easy to clean. I have this probably fanciful notion that somehow
I can use buckets as nests that are stable and yet easily removable so
that I can hose them down. I have yet to figure out how to accomplish
these two seemingly divergent goals. Has any amongst us used buckets
as nests? If so, how do you like them? How did you secure them? Have
you figured out a way to make them steady and yet removable for
cleaning?

Thanks!

Gloria

On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 3:28 PM, Roy Morgan <k1lky AT earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> On May 19, 2008, at 11:43 PM, Marie McHarry wrote:
>
>>  On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 10:11 PM, Roy Morgan <k1lky AT earthlink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> About out proposed hens. I am not sure how much grain we'd get for
>>> them.  Can they find things to eat in the field?
>>
>> Oh, yes they can. It's only necessary to feed chickens in winter in my
>> experience. ...
>>
>> Marie, who once -- alerted by screaming guineas -- stepped out on the
>> porch one afternoon just in time to see a coyote dispatch a hen
>
> It's been reported that coyotes have been seen around here.  I don't
> know about Central New York State.
>
> It is possible your experience is the reason some folks kept the
> carbine above the back door?  I can imagine a market for a one-rifle
> gun safe of small size with a big-numbered cypher lock on the front
> for quick use by adults only.
>
> Roy
>
> Roy Morgan
> k1lky AT earthlink.net
> Lovettsville, VA 20180
>
>
>
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