Self-made nests for brood hens and laying hens

When keeping any bird, special attention should be paid to its housing and nests. How to make nests for chickens? When equipping a chicken coop, it is necessary to make nests for chicken laying hens in which they can safely carry. It does not matter which species of bird is bred by the farmer. In the nests for chickens, birds of both egg and meat-and-egg or meat production are equally carried.Between themselves, they differ only in size, but not in the principles of manufacture and in the general arrangement. Setting up a nest in a chicken coop is a matter of the owner and then hens rush there increasing the total number of eggs as in the photo.

DIY nests for laying hens

How chicken nests should look like

Even before you start making nests for laying hens with your own hands, you need to understand what is required of them. At the same time, it is worthwhile to understand that it is impossible to do without these places, otherwise the birds will begin to lay eggs not in the nests, but wherever they like. This applies not only to chickens, but also to ducks, geese or turkeys. You should be able to make these nests for laying hens with your own hands, so as not to spend extra money on their purchase.Fortunately, the design of the nest for chickens with their own hands is not very complicated, it is easy to assemble even in the absence of the necessary drawings. Here are the requirements for chicken nests:

• First, do-it-yourself chicken nestsin the chicken coop should be made of durable material that can last for quite some time, therefore and you should not resort to using paper, cardboard or any other similar resource.
• Secondly, places for laying hens are always located far from the light, since birds do not like to nest in open, illuminated places. This is due to the instinct to which all birds obey, regardless of species. Poultry act just like their wild counterparts.
• Thirdly, the place should be chosen so that the laying hen does not suffer from drafts and high humidity. This weakens her health, increases the risk of disease and reduces egg production, so you should not install simple nests for chickens near the entrance to the chicken coop, near ventilation openings or close to the walls of the room.
• Finally, nests for layers should be made to the extent comfortable so that the chickens were comfortable in them. Untreated wood with splinters, sharp ledges, tips of nails or self-tapping screws – all this should not be, otherwise the bird may get hurt or simply refuse to rush in such nests.

Laying nests are made in several ways, depending on the design chosen. How to make a nest for chickens? But there is nothing complicated in this procedure, and if the farmer was able to build even the simplest chicken house with his own hands, then he will not have problems with the assembly of the nest. In principle, he would not even need drawings, although it is quite possible to use them. You can also watch the video and photos with the cutaway designs themselves, so that it is more convenient to deal with certain differences between the different designs.

Making simple nests for layers

In general, there is room for hatching looks about the same as nests for laying hens, from which eggs are constantly taken (and do not confuse them with various nests), but the sizes of nests for chickens should correspond to the volume of birds. You can even use ordinary packing cases made of wood or plywood paper, but birds are not always comfortable in them. Such packaging should be sanded with your skillful hands and cleaned from splinter so that the bird does not get hurt. It’s worth checking whether the nail or screw protruding the wooden box was fastened somewhere in the nests.

You can remove the top cover and cut out the opening for carrying chickens in the wall, and lay a soft litter inside. Another option is to make a round hole through which the bird will go inside. In this peculiar house or booth she will lay eggs.But if the chicken should be carried in a similar house, then its size should be larger than that of an open structure. At the open drawer, the side edges should be 15–20 cm high, and 10 cm in front. The length and width of it should be 0.35–0.4 m.

In the case of perches They are arranged in several rows, their height should be 0.35-0.45 m. It all depends on the size of the birds, which, in turn, are affected by the direction of productivity of this breed. Before perches it is worth making perches, on which birds will jump at the entrance and exit from the nests. All this is quite possible to do it yourself. But when making a nest for chicken, for masonry or for breeding, you need to do it according to certain rules. And even when making simple perches, these rules should be taken into account.

Assembling a place for laying eggs

When making a nest for laying hens, you must first make a suitable frame for the structure. It will be correct to collect it from sanded rails on which there are no splinter. The height and width of the structure depends on what size chicken will sit inside. It also affects the height whether the perch will be closed or open. The walls of the nest are made of thin plywood or boards. They are attached to the frame using nails or screws. The front wall is made about 10 cm high so that the chicken can easily climb inside.

Even at open nests sometimes high sides are made: in centimeters it goes from 20 to 30 or more, because although hens rarely have nightmares and, when they sleep, they do not toss and turn, they are quite capable of falling outside. When the wall is ready, lay the litter inside. It is made from sawdust, pure hay or straw. It is difficult to say how much is required. In any case, the bird should be comfortable on this litter. Many farmers recommend the use of sawdust, because it is more difficult for a chicken to scatter them around.

The bottom of the nest can be made of plywood, or it can be made of fine mesh. It’s more difficult to attach the net, but birds are arranged on it with great comfort. It is also necessary to take into account that the litter gradually falls out through the net, so you should first lay the fabric, and litter should already be put on top of it. If the perches are located one above the other, it is worth making sloping roofs for them so that sawdust, straw or any other material does not pour on the heads of the bird that sits on the lower floor.

Nests with an egg collector

Some farmers cannot afford to constantly check how well the chickens lay their eggs. There is one device that you can build yourself in the nests is a nest with an egg collector so that the eggs roll one by one and linger in a special compartment. The owners may not have enough time for constant viewing, especially if only one egg is added to the clutch.In order not to constantly check the condition of the masonry, you can make a nest with an egg collector. The egg collector is, in principle, a very useful and convenient thing that does not differ in large size or complex device. It is quite possible to make it yourself from improvised materials that are on any compound.

The egg collector is made in such a way that it is not necessary to accustom the hen to the constant collection of laid eggs. In this design, this process, so to speak, is automated. In this case, a nest of this type will not require additional materials for assembly. All you need is wooden slats and plywood. the floor is made at a slight slope of 8-10 ° C. At the same time, he must go beyond the perch. Another similar nest is to make a soft litter on the floor of fabric or other similar material.

When making such home-made dwellings for birds, it should be borne in mind that the eggs will be collected in one part of the flooring. And you need to arrange there a bunker closed on all sides, which would avoid damage to the eggs. In this case, the floor is best done without additional bedding from sawdust or hay so that it does not interfere with rolling eggs. Such tricky designs allow you to check masonry only 1 time per day, without fear for their safety. Yes, and hens quickly become accustomed to such a nest.

A perch with a container egg collector

A container egg collector works in exactly the same way as usual, only it has a slightly more complicated design. Nests for laying hens with an egg collector must be made with exactly the same inclined bottom without additional bedding. In this case, the floor does not protrude from the house, but rather does not reach the back wall. The distance between gender and It should be such that the egg falls into it calmly. It’s worthwhile to attach soft material like linoleum or rubber to the floor that would prevent egg fighting.

A container lined with soft and springy material is attached to the nest with a similar egg collector. It does not require much, up to 5 cm, with a container depth of 10-15 cm. Making a nest for laying hens with your own hands is not difficult: you make a regular plywood box, the bottom of which is covered with soft material. It is used to take and store eggs. True, the nest for chickens with an egg collector is not familiar to them; they still need to teach laying hens to it. And the point is not the disappearance of eggs, but the fact that it is not very convenient for birds.

Wicker nests for chickens

Some farmers make wicker houses themselves, but you need to know chicken nest size.They are well ventilated, easy to carry and install, and they are easy to clean, and they are inexpensive, because suitable rods can be obtained at any site, and birds rush into them with great pleasure. But first you need to learn how to make them yourself, and this is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Here is what knowledgeable farmers write on the forums:

“Wicker chicken nests are very convenient and practical. They are inexpensive, they are easy to use, birds feel very comfortable in them. But in order to be able to make such a home, you must first learn how to weave such baskets. And here you will have to study either by video, or take an appropriate master class, and this leads to additional costs of time and money. But if you still understand how these chicken nests gather, it will not be difficult for the farmer to provide their birds with normal housing. “

Installing and placing nests in the chicken coop

After the manufacturing of the nests for the chicken coop has been completed, the turn of their installation comes. They can be placed either close to the wall, or on pre-made stands. The number and size of stands depends on the number of sockets, and it is not at all difficult to make the necessary calculations. In order for the layers to get used to the new dwelling, it is worth installing feeders and drinking bowls near it. But you should not pour them food inside the dwellings, so that they drink and bite right there.It’s better to train them next to the nest, and not in this house.

Chicken nests are installed at a height of 30-40 cm above the floor. At the same time, they should be parallel to the floor of the chicken coop so that the eggs do not slide down to the edge of the bird’s house. The manufacture and installation of stands does not take much time, and if there is such an opportunity, it is better to put them where they will not interfere with the birds or the farmer. Arrangement of nests is best done when the entire complex is already installed and waiting for residents. What does it mean to equip a chicken nest? Put litter in it, and also place feeders next to it.

It is also possible to arrange it not on supports, but along the wall. But you cannot attach nests directly to the wall. In this case, the chickens rush worse, because the walls are cold and moisture. This arrangement also leads to diseases of the chickens, if they are hatched. This type of installation requires between the wall and the nests an additional layer in the form of a dense board and insulation. What could be said about this insulation? The board or timber should be thick and without cracks, and the insulation – incapable of harming the inhabitants of the chicken coop.

Conclusion

The nests for chickens are very simple to manufacture, but without them it is impossible to breed these birds normally, therefore, every farmer must master the general principles and rules of their production, because the time and resources spent on their assembly will quickly pay for themselves.