Nesting box curtains are functional and comforting for your laying girls and are quite festive when decorated in a holiday pattern.
Ever since we got chickens, I’ve been thinking of ways to decorate for the holidays. Well I came across the idea for nesting box curtains. Perfect timing as our girls are starting to lay. With holiday fabric you can really style up the look and your flock will have the feeling of Christmas inside their coop. Well they won’t know the difference, but you will.
Functionality of nesting box curtains
The best part about these, the curtains do more than just look nice. They are practical. Adding curtains to your nesting boxes provides coverage, blocks out some light to create a nice dark space and provides a sense of protection for your girls.
These help to prevent hens from pecking on each one another while they are getting their business done. Nothing worse than your other hens bothering your girl who is trying to lay.
Curtains also help to deter your chickens from sleeping in the nesting boxes. Sleeping chickens are pooping chickens. You don’t want your girls getting in the habit of defecating where they lay their eggs.
Nesting box curtains materials
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Sewing machine / needle & thread (optional)
- Staple gun, hooks and cord, or a curtain rod
For our space, I decided to do a large paneled curtain that is centered on the nesting box. It basically covers the whole box minus an inch or two on each side. Another idea is to cut your curtains into thinner strips as seen on the Chicken Chick’s website.
Ways to hang your fabric
First step is deciding how you want to hang your nesting box curtains.
- Staple gun – You can secure your curtains to your nesting boxes with a staple gun and staples.
- Hooks and cord – If you have unused cord laying around, easily hang it up with some hooks.
- Curtain rod – If you plan to change up the fabric for each holiday or season you may want to use a curtain rod.
Making chicken coop curtains
Next, you need to measure your nesting boxes. The dimensions you’ll want to know are the width and height of the boxes. This way you can measure and cut the fabric to fit your space. If using a cord you may need to add an additional 1 ½ inches or so to the height. If using a curtain rod, you may need to add a couple inches (depending on the thickness of the curtain rod) to the height because you need to accommodate where the curtain rod would go.
You will need to create and sew the rod pocket at the top of your curtains. It is open on either end and accommodates for the curtain rod. You do want the top to be secure but open freely at the bottom allowing easy access at all times.
Making curtains can be simple and you can really get creative with the patterns and style of your curtains. You girls won’t care what color or patterns you use, but I think this is a great way to dress up and add a nice touch of design to the coop.
I chose a black, white and red plaid fabric with a hint of green. A little farmhouse Christmas vibe for our space. The colors look great inside our coop. I’ve got some great ideas on repainting and resurfacing our coop that will pair nicely with other holiday fabrics, but that’s another day and another post.
If you created this art project, I would love to see how it turned out. Feel free to share with me on my social media. @EmjaybeeDesign #EmjaybeeDesign
Here’s to craft projects that inspire you to break out your creative and crafty side while making life beautiful!
♥ Megan
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