Bucket Brigade

It took a while for  the hens to decide they like  the 5-gallon bucket nesting boxes I made for them, but now  they prefer them to the wooden  cubbies. I prefer them too - they are so much easier to clean out.

I was  worried that some of  the chickens would be too big to maneuver inside the buckets, but even the largest hens seem to have no problems getting in and turning around.

There are  six nesting buckets, but for some reason the hens seem to choose  just a couple buckets to lay their eggs in, but not the same buckets each day.  Most mornings I find 6 or 7 eggs in each of three nesting buckets and three are empty. This despite the fact that often there are hens waiting to use a bucket that is already in use,  loudly scolding the hen inside laying and telling her to hurry up, while there is an identical bucket free right beside it.    Maybe they like the nest to be warmed up for them.