# Plastic Milk Crates as nest boxes?



## Mader631

Anyone out there ever use plastic Milk Crates as nest Boxes? I have a bunch that I'm thinking about using. nail the botton of the crate to the Loft wall & make a pull out cleaning botton in the crate? Looking for Ideas.........


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## spirit wings

sounds ok, but may not be enough room for two growing sqaubs and the two parent birds. oh and a nest bowl.


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## NitaS

I use the milk crates in my loft, but you have to put something over the top, otherwise they get pooped on! THey're about the same size of my built-in nest boxes.


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## Jay3

What are the measurements?


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## g0ldenb0y55

I tried using milk crates but they were too small to fit 2 nest bowls in them. I like to have enough room to do that with my nest boxes.


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## Homer87

That is what I use for my breeders loft. Works great for me.. Don't have time building nest boxes, so milk crates it is - fits perfectly for any kind of nest bowls (I use clay nest bowls) and fits a pair with their squabs..


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## Mader631

Sounds like plastic Milk crates is what I'm going to use then, + they clean up easy!


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## Mindy

I actually use the milk crates for my laying chicken hens. It works great for them so I don't see why not for pigeons. I have used them for years. mindy


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## Telessa

*Ok for some, not for all*

I am very new to this myself so don't have the beat all advice, but my first pair sort of shocked me by continually having two sets going at once (one set of 2-4 week olds then another set of eggs they were laying) I found that a milk crate wasn't big enough for two nesting boxes. But my second pair, they only stick to one set at a time, so that size crate would have done fine for them.

Mindy, I also use the milk crates for my laying chickens, it does work for them very well. Easy to attach to the barn wall.


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## Jay3

Telessa said:


> I am very new to this myself so don't have the beat all advice, but my first pair sort of shocked me by continually having two sets going at once (one set of 2-4 week olds then another set of eggs they were laying) I found that a milk crate wasn't big enough for two nesting boxes. But my second pair, they only stick to one set at a time, so that size crate would have done fine for them.
> 
> Mindy, I also use the milk crates for my laying chickens, it does work for them very well. Easy to attach to the barn wall.


Most pigeons do that. When the babies are like 10 days to 2 weeks old, they start another nest. So they either need a box big enough for them, the babies, and another nest bowl, or they need another box. I would rather have a box large enough so that they don't leave and go to another box, as this then leaves the first babies alone and unprotected in thier box. The cock still feeds them, but they are left alone a lot. If you have a problem with mean cocks, they could be injured by them. Also, you need more boxes if you do it this way, so how much are you really saving? If you aren't going to breed them, then this is a mute point, but if you are, then the larger box is better. It is easy to make a simple plain nest box, and doesn't cost much. You can then make them to any size that you want. As long as you have the room in your loft, that is.


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## czarkos

i use plastic milk crates in my coop, i put in a shoe box in them with shredded news paper in the bottom for nests


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## MaryOfExeter

Yep, you wouldn't be the first to do that. A lot of people around here have used those, as well as other random things. Gallon milk jugs for doves, buckets, TV and other machine parts (that would be my dad, LOL)...anything that's big enough will work


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## Guest

I myself would use a board to cover the whole bottom as so nothing falls thru it into the next next box including poop and little squabbies


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## g0ldenb0y55

Ahh...the milk crate thread...brings back old memories. I went around town looking for some and when I finally got a few the were to small for my likings....good times!


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## windmill Ranch

I stack the milk crates on top of each other with 1/2 of the front cut out. they work great.


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## spirit wings

g0ldenb0y55 said:


> Ahh...the milk crate thread...brings back old memories. I went around town looking for some and when I finally got a few the were to small for my likings....good times!


LOL...... he he.... I did the same thing about a year ago...driving behind grocery stores... and decided the same thing... to each their own...


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## g0ldenb0y55

LOL...too funny Spirit!


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## Jay3

LOL. I can just picture you guys driving around in the dark of night stealing crates! Too much! Funny mental image though.


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## Guest

spirit wings said:


> LOL...... he he.... I did the same thing about a year ago...driving behind grocery stores... and decided the same thing... to each their own...


well we all have to start somewhere


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## Jay3

LokotaLoft said:


> well we all have to start somewhere


LOL.


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## eyespyer

*milk crate in loft*

Thought I would share this pic, one of my friends breading loft


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## g0ldenb0y55

Looks like they really have to squeez in there to get through the opening. Great idea though!...Thanks for including a picture.


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## Jay3

Yes. Though fronts could be a bit lower I think.


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## Covenant Loft

Eyespyer,

Here is a picture of what I have been using for the last 10 years, I take them down at the end of breeding season, leave them out in the rain for a bit hose them down and put them away until next breeding season. I hope this helps.


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## Jay3

Covenant Loft said:


> Eyespyer,
> 
> Here is a picture of what I have been using for the last 10 years, I take them down at the end of breeding season, leave them out in the rain for a bit hose them down and put them away until next breeding season. I hope this helps.


Pic is too small to really see it. Can you make it larger?


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## Covenant Loft

I'll try, I hope this works.


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## Covenant Loft

*Nest Bowls*

I make my nest bowls so they fit inside the milk crates. I also use any scrap hardware cloth for the bottoms. I have more then enough so when time comes I just switch out a new one with the straw already in it put the babies in and I'm done, very simple.


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## Covenant Loft

*Nest Bowl picts*

I hit the submit button before I uploaded these in my last post, sorry.

Walter


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## Covenant Loft

When I put up the milk crates I try to stagger the colors so there's not two of the same colors beside each other or the same color in the same row. I believe it helps new pairs no where their nest is.

Walter


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## Jay3

Thanks for enlarging the pic. That's a great idea! And they are all alike, so it doesn't bother the parents when you change them. I like that. Thanks again.


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## c.hert

It is a neat idea but I would not do that for a few reasons because I believe in nest bowls and they are cheap enough and can be washed clean--I would put the nest bowls on top of the wire and raise the wire with a tray underneath so that you can get the droppings out when you clean without bothering the nest bowl at an early age. My second objection is the straw that you are using---this promotes breathing difficulties as well as fungus diseases and canker and assorted other things especially in a state like Vermont that is humid--I would use pine sticks or buy tobacco stems or sticks from the different dealers--cheap enough---my third objection is that those milk carton are really breezy on the babies because your loft seems to be open and I would really be afraid if you band your birds of a foot getting stuck in one of those holes and dying--I have had this happen to a baby roller of mine---stuff happens---just my opinions...c.hert


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## Covenant Loft

C. Hert thanks for your opinions. I liked using pine needles years ago when I could get them. You may have some thing with your ideas about the straw. One thing I dislike about using straw is , it's hollow and allows parisites to hide so I dust it and that seems to work.

Walter


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## Jay3

Covenant Loft said:


> C. Hert thanks for your opinions. I liked using pine needles years ago when I could get them. You may have some thing with your ideas about the straw. One thing I dislike about using straw is , it's hollow and allows parisites to hide so I dust it and that seems to work.
> 
> Walter


I think dusting it is a good idea. My birds love the straw. I use Timothy hay also. It's clean and bagged. And I get it at the pet shop. I would use pine needles if I could get the long ones.


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## MISLESHEVO

I have seen milk crates in 1 loft before and have to say it was an ugly site. Apart from it looking ugly the lack of room is enough to not use them. 

Having said that if you cannot afford anything else then it is better then nothing.


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## wthilgen

Covenant Loft said:


> When I put up the milk crates I try to stagger the colors so there's not two of the same colors beside each other or the same color in the same row. I believe it helps new pairs no where their nest is.
> 
> Walter


Birds are color blind, they can distinguish only between shades of gray. Just like an old television.


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## aarongreen123

*Gonna try these*

Just got some milk crate nest boxes put together. Stick down tile in the bottom of each, they were the right size. Bungies work well to tether them together, they will go in a corner in the breeder section about 2 feet off the floor putting the tallest at eye level


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## West

Nice job. I need to figure out a good place to get milk crates.


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## wthilgen

Great job on the doorways! One can rearrange them so as to clean them easily. I can take anyone out of order and pressure wash it then put it back in order any time I want. Even if I don't put it back in the exact space where I took it from the birds don't seem to mind.


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## aarongreen123

the doorways were super easy, just happened to be the layout of the side panels and zipped them out with a jig saw in about 2 seconds flat. 

now as far as a nest bowl. i can put one in there, but with the size of these being 12x12 what about just filling the entire bottom with net material and just letting the whole floor of the box be the nest bowl? would there be any other advantages to the clay or plastic bowls?


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## TimJ

wthilgen said:


> Birds are color blind, they can distinguish only between shades of gray. Just like an old television.


Nope that is totally wrong. Pigeons have much better color vision then we do. Humans may have pretty good color vision compared to other mammals but not to most birds.

Tim


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## aarongreen123

TimJ, thanks for that, i ddidn't know that fact


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## RockPigeon<3er

wthilgen said:


> Birds are color blind, they can distinguish only between shades of gray. Just like an old television.


If birds are color blind, please explain these.....

http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059881/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059882/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059883/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059884/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059885/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059887/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059888/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059889/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059890/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059891/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059892/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059893/width/500/height/1000
http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6059894/width/500/height/1000


Think before you speak. Birds are most definitely not color blind & can see better then us.


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## Jay3

They see color, but not the way we see it.


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## Shadybug Lofts

So how can they tell if a bird can see color or not?


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## Shadybug Lofts

wthilgen said:


> Birds are color blind, they can distinguish only between shades of gray. Just like an old television.


 If this is true, Then why are most male birds so beautifully colored. Its to attract a mate. If they couldn't see color then they would the same color, which brings me to why are some male birds not colored different, could some species see color and some not?


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## almondman

Shadybug Lofts said:


> So how can they tell if a bird can see color or not?


Researchers can use color coded feeders that allow the birds to select their preferred food. After a short time of trial and error, the birds identify certain colors with certain feeders/foods. Or they learn which colors represent feeders with food compared to empty ones. TADA!


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## aarongreen123

I tried this, been two months now of early breeding. my birds have literally chosen to nest in every single other place except these plastic milk crates. it appears they hate them. they do seem to be a good place to keep nest building materials as everything i put in them has been removed and used to build elsewhere.


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## Jay3

What do you put in them for a floor? Maybe they also aren't large enough?


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## aarongreen123

*.*

I put a piece of vinyl in them for a floor and then about three inches of pine needles. I think it really is a size thing, no where for the pair to roost and bond together. I was just being a cheapo and trying to use what I had around, I realize now I need to just build some real stuff


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## Jay3

Yeah, they really do need room to move around in their box. They do have a way of letting you know how they feel about things, don't they? LOL. Smart birds. How many boxes will you have to build?


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## hamlet

Hello. If it is a size issue then have you considered puttin double crates: two into one? I think the red color may have something to do also. I have seen the rectangular, black milk crates with paper bowls being used with success. If you can, increase the perch width in front of the door or totally get rid of it on some entrances and see what happens. You may also put cardboard for more privacy on the sides of the crates untill they hatch. I think the trick is to get just one pair to nest then others will follow. Oh, one more thing: i would put food inside the bowls in the beginning so they wont shy from entering them. I did that with my chickens and they laid eggs in places that i wanted them too. Did you know that plastic harbors bacteria more than wood? Good luck with this project.


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## aarongreen123

like cutting the side out of two milk crates and tying them together? I dont think i'll mess with them any more. I think i'll put them on the floor for the random pairs that insist on floor nests. I'm thinking i will build a 8 foot wide by 4 foot tall bank of best boxes, each will be around 12x24 and that should be plenty for the number of birds i have. privacy seems to be a big issue, thinking about building some sort of panel over half of each nestbox, although i never see this in any of the high end loft pictures. what do you think?


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## Silver Wings

There's a loft down from me that uses buckets. Buckets are nailed with the bottom to the wall, lids cut about 1/3-1/2 out leaving a flap. On the bottom of the flap they nail a piece of wood (for weight, it keeps the flap open giving a 'landing pad'. Inside wood chips are smoothed out, going to about 1/2 way from the floor of the bucket up. This gives the greatest amount of floor space to the birds. Any bucket will work - small house use buckets to Home Depot buckets. He's also gotten icing buckets from bakeries. The birds are producing babies by the buckets!  hope this helps.


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## aarongreen123

i have tried buckets, they were actually dunkin donuts icing buckets, birds woulndt go in them no matter what i tried or how i positioned them.


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## Jay3

I think both you and the birds would be happier if you go ahead and build the boxes. As far as partially closing the front of the box. Some of mine are like that and the birds like it. Gives them a little bit more protection and privacy. Good idea.


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## newtopigeonsNJ

I was researching the milk crate idea when I came across this thread...after hearing all the pros and cons Ive decided to just build boxes ..I need 4 of them so its not an impossible task but I am completely clueless about building/carpentry. I dont even know where to start and I dont want to waste money on materials and end up doing it incorrectly. Ive considered buying some as Id really like the kind with a bottom tray/wire floor but theyre incredibly expensive especially for someone that needs 4 of them lol.


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## Jay3

Well it's easy enough to just build a box. You can make it any size you want. figure out how large you are building it, then you will know how much wood you will need. If I can do it, anybody can, and I have built them.


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