[IMAGE: https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVTyLdWDmnKjmHbFMThZ4X1UCjmEXLeuhGEw515jsDqmV/(Mo)%20Molasses.jpg]
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Here is Mo, short for Molasses
She loves this makeshift 5 gallon bucket nesting box. I thought she and the other two hens might not like it at first, but after a few days they settled in. One day Mo and Doris, the alpha hen, were sitting on eggs together. They were so cute. It was a tight fit, but they looked cozy.
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRzVM7WxnTubq5teSjWVCtkmR2VhcHFwyYri3eu4SxRVp/Eggs%20in%20bucket.jpg
As you can see here
they have been productive. I stuck some golf balls in there too. I started that when they were little. I don't know if they help in any way, but it was something I read about, to give the young ones encouragement.
The back of the bucket
developed a crack during cold weather. I started to remove it, and install another one. Then I had an idea... just stick another one on the outside of the old one. It worked very well. The two layers probably added some insulation too.
I installed the bucket
in the beginning, by cutting a hole the same size as the bucket, with a jig saw. Then pushed the bucket through from the outside. It fit tight. I then added a couple of screws through the rim and into the coop wall. I fastened a 1x4 along the inside edge to hold in the bedding.
She looks happy!
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmaQHZu9rBqyYMqwBbRrWtFy3z8tGh5Bgfy71xUucZLfzE/IMG_1062.jpg
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUsJ9bVbXaUM2aDEt2UXxFH1KZivGxpHcBCKmdB23Aqjh/Carton.jpg
and proud of her eggs.
[IMAGE: https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQma7V8xkuEA7WfSbkP4nT3czAkHNMtwCtuYxTsbhCAhAb9/White%20line.jpg]
Later, Cy
P.S. You ever have trouble separating 5 Gal buckets? They stick together so tight! It is enough to throw your back out, pull your fingernails off, and lead you to drink. When I stuck the second bucket on the outside because of the crack, it just stuck on by itself. I did not have to fasten it, and it has never came off.