pigeon coop nesting box idea

[ibbowhunting]

well i getting a few more breeding pairs of homing pigeons tonight i was thinking of putting boxes for the birds to lay there eggs in, but my second coop where some of these bird will live is fairly small so i was think if i took white square 5 gallon buckets and screwed them to the outside of the coop by the bottom of the bucket, then drill a 4 or 6 inch hole thur the wall into the bucket and the just put the lids on the other end, this should be easy to clean, this would give them place to lay there eggs and not take any room up in the coop do you think it would work? kind of like a k9 condo for birds. i know some of them will just lay on the floor i just think this would give them a place to go

[V-John]

well i getting a few more breeding pairs of homing pigeons tonight i was thinking of putting boxes for the birds to lay there eggs in, but my second coop where some of these bird will live is fairly small so i was think if i took white square 5 gallon buckets and screwed them to the outside of the coop by the bottom of the bucket, then drill a 4 or 6 inch hole thur the wall into the bucket and the just put the lids on the other end, this should be easy to clean, this would give them place to lay there eggs and not take any room up in the coop do you think it would work? kind of like a k9 condo for birds. i know some of them will just lay on the floor i just think this would give them a place to go

Ive heard of guys using buckets before fairly successfully. As long as they have a bowl and nesting material obviously to prevent the eggs from rolling around. The big thing about nest bo,es is to provide a place that is defensible for the parents. They need a place that they can defend from other pigeons in the loft.
Just a thought.

[cjhills]

Make sure the Raccoons can't get the covers off.

[mobeasto123]

well i getting a few more breeding pairs of homing pigeons tonight i was thinking of putting boxes for the birds to lay there eggs in, but my second coop where some of these bird will live is fairly small so i was think if i took white square 5 gallon buckets and screwed them to the outside of the coop by the bottom of the bucket, then drill a 4 or 6 inch hole thur the wall into the bucket and the just put the lids on the other end, this should be easy to clean, this would give them place to lay there eggs and not take any room up in the coop do you think it would work? kind of like a k9 condo for birds. i know some of them will just lay on the floor i just think this would give them a place to go

that's exactly what I've done and it work great plus cleaning is really, just unsnap the lid and clean the inside.

David

[Hattrick]

I use buckets in mine works vary well

[ibbowhunting]

got any pictures? how big does the hole have to be? will 4" work or 6" would be better?

[DonF]

I believe I'd put a landing plate for the birds going in and I know I'd put some kind of floor in it. The inside's of plastic bucket's, even metal for that matter, is slick. I have one nest made from a square bucket and it's alright. Think I'll stick to wood nest box's though. i build the box then cut a floor in it the comes out. Also a lip on the removable floor.
To clean I just slide out the floor! I've got birds right now that have avoided a few nest's. Three back under to old chicken nesting box's, one in a corner behind the feed barrel one made a nest up on top of a couple pens I put in there. Got between the outside wall and the pen and down just a bit between the studs. Looked up there today and they aren't in a hole and two babies doing fine. In my feral pen, they lay most every where except where I'd like them to. Two actually are using box'w I made but after that they are all over! I had one get into the bucket I keep in there to haul out crap and laid an egg in it. Now I keep the shovel in the bucket and they leave it alone. Just not hard at all to make them happy. You want to be sure they use the nest's you make for them? Put them inside a 2' by about 18" box with a nest inside and bars so they can't get out. Then they probably won't lay in the nest but somewhere else in the box. I have a fairly large flight pen for my homer's and I threw a leaf of hay in there. They take the hay inside and build their nest's. Some times yiou can try your best and the things are gonna do what they want. I don't care as long as they come home and they always do that!

[Hattrick]

I just leave the top off and nail the bottom to the wall. It gives them plenty of room to go in an out. It dont need be fancy, they will nest anywhere even on the floor.

[RoostersMom]

Mine prefer the floor no matter what I build for them. I've tried using cat litter (plastic boxes) containers - like the 3 gallon ones or whatever - big yellow ones - and screwing them into the wall. Seems to work fine, I have two nests right now in them, but I'm a bit worried about the "no lip" thing. I'm afraid the chicks will fall out - don't know if that's a valid concern or not - we'll see as they get bigger.

[V-John]

Mine prefer the floor no matter what I build for them. I've tried using cat litter (plastic boxes) containers - like the 3 gallon ones or whatever - big yellow ones - and screwing them into the wall. Seems to work fine, I have two nests right now in them, but I'm a bit worried about the "no lip" thing. I'm afraid the chicks will fall out - don't know if that's a valid concern or not - we'll see as they get bigger.

Put a nest bowl in it. That should work. They need something to push against, or you can have chicks with splayed leg, which is a pain. You can buy paper nest bowls that work great for really cheap.