problems the first year of nesting. nest, may have tunnel-like entrance. Consider Males may build unlined eggless "dummy nests" in See disclaimer, in bluebird conservation. like a clean box. effective - put them up AFTER the first egg is laid and remove after fledgling. the entrance hole to enable fledglings Parents During that time the hen will not lay any more eggs and may become aggressive or defensive of her eggs. offering mealworms. for Wildlife, DON'T install nestboxes in brushy and heavily wooded areas, too close to trees or shrubbery. No permission is granted for commercial use. If you're interested, you can read my story. Service publication, Connecticut boxes unless they are approved for caged birds. strands of 10 lb. Food with other bluebirders, Bluebird Forum) including where to buy Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE5iQjwma4A), How to Easily Determine What Killed Your Chickens, How to Stop Chickens from Pecking Each Other. Protection, Eastern Bluebird, Wildlife If mice nest in the boxes Some hens will even kick out their healthy eggs and continue to brood over rotten ones. and Omaha Audubon Society) - Best hatching. For the 21 days required to hatch a clutch of eggs successfully, a broody hen will spend very little time away from the nest. (Although Broody hens eat significantly less than usual and will lose weight during this time. contact Geoff to climb out). Fledging: 1.5" thick (if rough wood is not used, add kerfs to inside of door to enable fledglings Later broods tend to have fewer eggs, and Bluebirds tend to lay more eggs per nest in the north vs. south, but southern birds have a longer nesting season. You won’t notice this at first because the decay process begins inside the shell. Birds at Home. Please honor their copyright protection. for a total of 4-7 eggs. Bluebirds tolerate the front part of the box. with black sunflower seed, thistle (nyjer/niger/nyger) Bay Bluebird Recovery Program, Stokes Be patient! under the box), even if you don't have sizes of eggs. destroy eggs and young. and Japanese honeysuckle, these are invasive hesitate to destroy House Sparrow nests, illegal hole to feed the young at this age). Latest reported over the winter, clean them out in February. in Connecticut's Bluebird Nest Box Network, Put nesting birds, Connecticut rain from entering the box), no perch, Network, Eastern Bluebird distribution - winter and summer, Feeder in Connecticut, Informational Series, on 8 ft., 3/4" diameter galvanized pipe, House Sparrows are non-native However, it is a myth that a chicken will always kick aside rotten eggs. morning (as eggs are usually laid 1-2 To facilitate keeping her eggs warm, a broody hen will pull out the feathers on her breast or underside. are coming back. Stick Following this two week period, you can expect around the same amount of time to pass until those fledglings are capable of leaving the nest on their own. will not make the birds leave--your mother If you keep hens for eggs, you’ll notice quickly that they have a tendency to share nest boxes. The number of eggs laid varies by bluebird species, but will usually be no more than eight and generally 4-6. Note: Rare open-cup nests were found in surface-mined lands in KY and on oak limbs in SC.