New Year, New Ideas!

A new year is upon us and all the new ideas keep rolling in from all sorts of places.  I will be the first to admit that I am a Pinterest addict.  And due to that addiction, I have lots of projects that I'm just dying to get started on.  Unfortunately, time and money seem to keep me from embarking on that journey.  I will keep pinning, and one day, when I have more of both of the above resources, I will tackle that ever-growing list. 

One of the things that I did get accomplished recently wasn't on one of my boards (at least I don't think it was), is a set of "curtains" for my hen's nesting boxes.  I've had a terrible time keeping pine shavings in their nesting boxes for a number of years.  They get into the nesting boxes and like to camp out, scratching and fluffing the litter all over.  They also have a bad habit of eating the eggs in the nesting boxes if they are left there all day.  I am not home all day since I work, so by the time I get home from work, get out to take care of chores, I am usually cursing them for eating the eggs and emptying the contents of the boxes. 

I read somewhere (sorry, can't remember whose blog it was), that they used curtains on the boxes.  According to the author, the hens like their privacy when laying eggs, but don't like to stay in the dark for all that long.  The curtains also discourage the hens from egg-eating.  I finally got the ambition desperate enough to get out and get it done. 

I had several empty feed bags that were sitting around and decided to find a staple gun, a pair of scissors and start cutting.  I just guessed on the size that I would need.  I had plenty of bags to use, so I just started cutting away.  I stapled it to the top of the box and trimmed to about 2 inches above the floor of the nesting box.  I wanted them to be able to see into the box a little, but wanted it dark enough to discourage the camping out habit.  Once I got the piece stapled at the top, I cut strips about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3/4 of the way up the stapled piece.  This makes it easier for the hens to get into and out of the boxes.  Once I was done making noise and disrupting their afternoon, I grabbed a hen or two and put them up into the boxes to show them it wasn't anything new or scary.  After the first day, I noticed an egg, still in on piece and clean, sitting in a nice clean pile of pine shavings.  I was so excited and praised my girls for being such good chickens.  A few eggs were still on the floor of the coop, but in one piece.  The next day, there were a few more in the nesting boxes, in one piece and sitting on clean shavings.  I was ecstatic!  Yesterday, I went out and there were five eggs in boxes!  I think they are learning quickly!

I know I should have done this years ago, but I am still learning.  I'm no chicken pro by any means.  I have had chickens for several years, but it's a learning process-what works, what doesn't, revise and try again.