An in-depth look at nest-box inspection

STAGE 1 in the process I’m discussing lasts from pairing until the due date for the eggs. You need to prepare the box by making sure it has been soaked or sprayed with a mite concentrate. I like to use a concave, making sure the bowl section is furthest from the entrance hole. You don’t want the hen or the cock coming through the hole and dropping straight onto the eggs. As a matter of habit, I place a dusting of mite powder under the concave. On top of the concave, I add a couple of handfuls of dust-free sawdust. That keeps the box dry and means droppings can be removed easily.

I always pair up in groups of four or six. This enables me to foster eggs and chicks, as they will all be at the same stage of development. It gives me the chance to move a single chick to another box and allow the hen with the single chick to go to nest again. I always aim to get three or