Constructing a Nesting Box Hutch

[@brianphilbrook5262]

Good job. No matter how much you plan a project it never works out that way. The good thing is you made it work anyway.

[@erosendaul]

I'll agree with Brian! Anyone that has built anything will attest to things not always going as smooth as you plan. The key is figuring out a way to make it work anyways! Well done Dan!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thanks guys!

[@TealHouseFarm]

Man, hang in there! I ALWAYS miss measure and have to go back and redo stuff...makes me so mad!! Your channel is exploding...keep up the great work!!!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thanks Sam. It's good to know I'm not alone :)

[@michellecoates1467]

you seem to put your drill in reverse when you back your drill bit out of the pilot hole. keep the drill running forward and just pull the drill back. your bit will come cleanly out of the pilot hole with out releasing it's grip on the drill bit. keep up the good work.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

nice tip. Thank you Michelle

[@NaturalLivingHomestead]

Just got our first Maran egg too! We didn't know we had a Maran chicken until she laid her first egg. We thought it was a Barred Rock. We bought it at Big R at the end of last September. We are anxious to start new Marans this year. Very soon we are going to have a video on different chicken breeds that we saw at the poultry show at the National Western Stock Show. At the show there were many types of Marans. We love the dark chocolate colored eggs! Hope you got your drill bit back!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Yeah, the dark eggs are very appealing! Congrats on your maran laying! I was beginning to think mine were duds. That sounds like a great video idea. I'll keep an eye out for it

[@charlesvanhowardflorendo7219]

I am sure that by spring time, that place will be the best place to plant some veggies.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Yes! I'm thinking we'll have some nice fertility in there

[@marty01957]

Nice video. My late mother always said if chickens feet get cold , like being able to walk in the snow, they won't lay eggs.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

That's probably true. They find a lot of reasons not to lay

[@charlesvanhowardflorendo7219]

Great job!

[@scuzzbecuzz]

Live & learn... at least you are willing to try.....keep your head up. You have so much going for you!!!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thanks Gary :)

[@cynthiamantooth1201]

Two steps forward and one step back, but you'll get there Dan. Maybe a diagram showing the inside dimensions and overall dimensions would help. I can visualize well, but when it comes to exact lengths to cut, I have to have a diagram to go by. Great video though. The cookies looked yummy. Little Buddy liked them. Loved the smile on his face when he sampled them.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Yes, a diagram would have been helpful. Good point

[@CJFarm]

Nice chicken furniture, Dan!! It's so fun jumping on learning curves with you! My husband will be helping me, well, I mean to say, I will be assisting my husband in making a little greenhouse (mostly modeled after TexasPrepper's design) that we'll use as our first flockhouse (sorta like a "flop-house") Then we'll start on the Chickshaw. Me as assistant again of course. I really laughed when I saw that drill bit stuck in the wood! That's the kinda stuff that always happens to me. Guess that's why I'm still just an ASSISTANT on our projects. BTW: Art&Bri are doing exactly what we're finally doing after twelve years on our 2 1/2 acre property. Fencing, Building soil. Planning and planting fruit trees, and ugh!... Finding out about and dodging the chemicals in those "FREE" wood chips!! Man I wish I were twenty years younger! Love seeing all you people just getting out there and doing it! Congratulations on your newly initiated egg-layers! Will we get to see that cookie recipe?

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thank you Joyce! That's great you guys are going to build a cattle panel greenhouse. We really love ours. How many birds will you be housing in yours? Yes! Ashley is most likely making the cookies again this weekend. I'll film it and publish it for the following Saturday's "cooking video".

[@CJFarm]

about 30 chicks, 3 ducklings and 1 gosling. Modeled after Justin's flock.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

My suggestion (not that you asked for it) - Build the greenhouse 4 cattle panel lengths or make 2 normal sized greenhouses. We have 24 birds in ours which gives them just under 4 square feet per bird. 4 is the suggested minimum for winter housing. Since you'd have 10 more birds than we do, you might need more space.

[@kurtpalmer3674]

Easy way to get the drill bit out is to tighten the chuck on the drill over it and drill it out it doesn't matter what breed of drill you have they all do it from time to time (some more often than others) to reduce the risk of it just check the tightness of the chuck every 5 or 6 holes :-)

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

I cranked it down as far as it would go but it won't grip the bit tight enough anymore. :(

[@SevenSproutsFarmstead]

Thank you for sharing your mistakes! Sometimes we learn best that way 😘

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

You're welcome. I learn so much from the feedback here when I make mistakes. :)

[@marybelfordsmith8421]

"Unintended consequences." I may have to borrow that from you!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Haha...yes. I almost chose that as the title for the video.

[@andrewsanders8167]

easy nest boxes take a 5 gallon bucket and screw a 1by6 to the front and set on ground they like them more then off the ground plus you don't have to worry about the roosting in them. to keep from sticking drill bits don't try to do all the hole in one shot bring it out several times so it cleans the hole out

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thanks for the tips Andrew!

[@PartTimePermies]

The drill bit may have been too close to the knot in the wood. The wood is much harder where the knots are. I try to avoid drilling through them if at all possible.You could put the 2 boxes on the shelf and 2 boxes on the ground on the bottom, that way you have more room for when more of your pullets start laying. Also, if you have a landing bar in front of the nest boxes, you want to make sure you have enough weight on the back to balance the weight of the birds so that they don't pull the whole thing over. It is a good idea, just a couple minor adjustments. BTW, I have my first couple videos up with no annoying banner across the screen!!! yea!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Oh awesome! Congratulations! You are using the full version of Premier? (Thanks for the above info)

[@PartTimePermies]

The Grass-fed Homestead yes, finally got it downloaded and working. now, I'm just learning how to use it.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

👍

[@RandyKleinman]

I hope you have good luck with your marans. They seem to be the lazy egg layers of my flock. The dark coloration on their eggs also fade over time. I will confess to taking a hack saw to a stuck drill bit before. Your drill is fine. You just need some new bits. The shank has worn down on them.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

That was a brand new bit I bought around Christmas time. I didn't realize they wear down so fast

[@CJFarm]

I greatly appreciate your feedback, Dan! My husband, Chris, says his cattle-panel greenhouse design will be raised up with a wooden frame. This will make it heavier, but taller and wider. He says it will allow 4 sq ft. per bird. 3 Cattle panels. I'll let you know how it goes. I greatly appreciate the feedback. So did he. Part of me wants to cancel our order with Purely Poultry bc Chris is away for work and when he's home he's often working nights and weekends here at home. (You You-Tubers probably have this challenge with editing, right?) Last weekend I turned the huge compost pile by hand bc he said the ground was too muddy for using his Kabota tractor. I was angry while turning that pile. Two days later and my shoulder is very painful. I know. I know. Let it go.... You and some of your viewers are becoming like my therapists! I'm lying down on your couches to continue... So when I think of growing more and more of our own food I'm excited and inspired, especially watching homesteaders like you guys, doing what I want to do... (I'm laughing now bc this really does feel like therapy...) I was born on my paternal grandfather's dairy farm in 1949 and lived there until I was 6. That grandmother named me. I don't remember her. She died of cancer when I was 2 or something. But she visited me a year ago from the "other side" and said, "I'll help you with the chickens and the cherry tree." One of her farm-wife jobs had been taking care of the chickens. Selling the eggs and butchering. I have vague memories of it. I do recall eating those sour cherries that were behind the chicken house. I also vaguely recall how they processed chickens. Brutal hatchet. I totally understand the expression "running around like a chicken with its head cut off!" This past November, I learned how to do a humane kill at a local pasture-raised poultry farm. I processed 20 turkeys myself right before Thanksgiving. I know how to do it Better than grandma did it. But I WILL accept any help that's offered from grandma. I'm getting off the couch now... reaching for my green smoothie... and hey, I DO feel better! Thanks for the great session, guys! I'm going to take care of the goats now... (my husband had to brush and ponytail my hair this morning bc of my injured shoulder. I will do my best to avoid anger as we move forward. By the way, saw a great movie recently called "Homesman" with Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones. Tommy's character was called Mr. George Briggs. We're going to give that name to our guard-goose. If you see the movie, you'll understand. He reluctantly ended up taking care of the women....

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

I'm glad to help with the virtual couch :) Don't cancel the birds. You will regret it. If raising them turns out to be too much, you already know how to process so you can either process them or sell them. You won't regret trying. :)

[@onedazinn998]

Yea Don't cancel your order....I'm 57, hardly get around too well, & guess who turns my compost piles? my chickens do! They love to be wherever I am if I have a tool in my hand they know that means I'm diggin & they love to peck & scratch at wherever I am...under my feet & on top of my tools. If they are in a place I don't want them scratching I just stay out there with them...go stand in the area of the garden waste I want turned...and they come running and dig. o.- you can do if I can. Next season you won't have to work as hard...let your animals do the work for you.

[@rujoby]

Definitely a Marans egg. Looks would still hold all 3 boxes if the legs were on the outside. Doesn't matter though most of mt eggs are in 2 nests. I recommend new people to your channel to plug into the tv and watch the 30 day challenge play list. I like playlists because it keeps playing if I am working on something.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thanks for referring folks to our channel! Yeah, I don't really need the 3rd box but thought it would be nice in case we grow our flock more this year.

[@oldchickenlady]

If you always put a steeply slanted roof over the nesting boxes, the won't get up on top of the roof. A flat roof is just a great spot to hang out and poop all over everything. Also, just for added security, you should screw the frame of the nest box container to the wall so there is no chance of the whole thing falling over.....better a few screws and a few extra minutes than dead chickens!!

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

sound advice. Thank you

[@PrattFamilyHomestead]

Congrats on the eggs!! I want those eggs!!! We have been considering getting some those chickens. But...we are downsizing....right ?? LOL - Mike

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Yes - those pesky egg allergies! If you ever want to try them, I could send you some eggs when production picks up

[@onedazinn998]

good idea, but maybe leave the plastic totes out since they don't fit, run some hardware cloth on the bottom & a 2" lip to catch the straw - just use the plastic boxes for the tractor? you need some stability on the totes or they'll tip them over getting in. I keep mine on the floor (elevated with deep litter bedding bottom under and straw inside them) jammed in between wood studs in the barn. Now they don't fall over when the ladies hop up on the edge of the tubst. Never had an issue with them pooping in the nest boxes ever since it's on the opposite side of the roost area...they like to do most pooping at night sleeping areas. If they poop on top of your flat board -put a diagonal board over it or worse case...frozen poop is a cinch to clear off in the morning with a kitty litter scoop o.- Since your flock has grown you will have to build a different structure for them eventually o.- or you going with the chickshaw?

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

We are going to attempt a chickshaw build in the spring. It will make moving the chickens SO much easier

[@BobbleheadHomestead]

I HAVE INTERNET AGAIN! :) Lots of catching up to do. Dude, you rode the yak? I'm about to find out. What about ditching the milk crates (they are convenient to pull out and clean etc.) and put a floor and two dividers to make three permanent nesting boxes in that hutch? That was my thought.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Welcome back PD!! That's a good suggestion regarding the nesting boxes. Doug (Doug and Stacy) recommended cutting a nesting box smaller. That could work too. I'm contemplating

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

enjoyed this :)

[@harwellshoneyhive4712]

Measure twice, cut once. 👍

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

yes!

[@chrisyoung732]

"Watch me learn carpentry lessons" channel. LOL Ive done the same thing (More than once unfortunately) Maybe some hardware cloth over the window would avoid the issue. They will eventually roost on the top of that new structure. You might consider a 2x2 that crosses the entire back wall a bit higher up than the old one. (If you hardware cloth the window) How many more months will they be in the green house. If the intent is to start plants I would not think they would be in there too much longer. Are you planning on multiple tractors for the flock or a chick-shaw style?

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

I'm planning on building a chickshaw in the spring. Once I get that built after the snow melts I'm evicting the birds from the greenhouse and they are going to pasture! Hopefully by the end of March. It's up to the weather though. I will likely start off with one flock but separate some for breeding later on

[@toothpickjc]

u fergot to add the litle pcs for the lip so the crates wont move as much

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

I just didn't have time to do it that evening.

[@toothpickjc]

what would u recomends for egg layers. either brown or white or any color egg as long as good egg. production

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Brown is what people tend to prefer at farmer's markets so I'd get that if you want to sell eggs. If it is just for you, go with whatever has the best production.

[@granttabor1338]

Alaska construction. Measure with a micrometer, level with a laser, cut with an axe :) :) :) :) Long as the birds use it it will be fine.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

well said!

[@portugeeprepper6821]

Nice that's definitely a maran egg. Hope the cookies were good little buddy. Hope the nesting boxes work out. Thanks for the video, if you have some time please come on over and check out my new channel. I would appreciate the support 👍🏼thanks and take care.

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

Thank you PP. I will check it out

[@isaaclinscheid4273]

Homestead failures always lead to more homestead successes

[@TheGrassfedHomestead]

👍