# 5 gallon buckets for chicken coop?



## texasbeerescue (Jun 14, 2016)

Has anyone tried this?


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

I have not tried that. It looks good.
How are the hens taking to them?

My hens always wanted to use the same nest,
I had 15 nest boxes, but.....they were so stupid, to cram in one nest ...:nuts:




Jim


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

My girls have 2 open boxes that can hold 3-4 hens nesting at once. They prefer to use one spot in each box and will even sit on each other to lay. Their nesting habits change when I put clean nesting materials in the boxes.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

phideaux said:


> I have not tried that. It looks good.
> How are the hens taking to them?
> 
> My hens always wanted to use the same nest,
> ...


Mine do the same. 10 hens, 8 boxes and they use 2.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

I have big plastic totes on the ground with lids on them. I cut out a doorway to each one. They all lay just fine in them, but they do have their favorite ones.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

I use the flats that soft drinks come in at convenience stores. Snatch them out, hose them off, add fresh hay and put back. It’s simple, easy to keep clean and I always thrown down a coat of diatomaceous earth to cut down on ants. The whole thing is portable. I can drag it from location to location, permanent aircraft cables attached. The top floor also comes off. It can be a 4 nester or an 8.

At one time I had 40 hens. They still tried to use 3 nests… go figure. I’ve seen 4 hens laying in a single box and 3 more fussing because they want in… 

I use golf balls for 2 reasons, they encourage the hens to lay there and most importantly... Chicken snakes will occasionally swallow one. No more snake. They can't pass a golf ball...


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## txcatlady (Sep 26, 2013)

My BIL uses the buckets and has for a few years now. He braced bottoms at an angle and I think he has a two by four across the front of all of them. Hens are happy laying and sitting. He has a problem with snakes, freak him out so he kept a shot gun in coop. After too many ventilating holes, it went back in house. My sister got bit pulling a chicken snake off her chicks last year! Momma bear protecting her flock!


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