My 'experimental' nesting box idea ....

perrypogue

Songster
8 Years
Jun 17, 2015
87
18
109
Haskell TX
So I just completed a remodeling job inside my 12' x 12' coop. I had a good 4 box nesting box but it was at ground level and bending over picking up the eggs was clearly a poor idea. I had just built it so heavy that I couldn't raise it w/o help. But I built a strong stand and got my brother to help me lift it up. Now those boxes are about shoulder high.

Then I saw the opportunity to build more nesting boxes below the original four. I went with an 'open concept' ... it has a 4" rail and a nice layer of pine shavings and the ladies have taken to it ...but it looks like they have decided it's a two nest box as only one pullet takes one back corner and another pullet will lay in the other back corner.

It looks to me like if I want more pullets to use this nesting box I need to install some dividers .... I suppose I see know why nesting boxes are built the traditional way.
 
My 18 girls have 20 boxes to choose from plus a "sand box" . Plenty of room one would think to avoid crowding. NOT!!! These insane girls ALL use the 3×3 " sand box" . Its historical to watch the 2 cockerels hovering over to make sure everyone is ok. Nest boxes are a relative concept depending on the girls. Mine are production reds, black astrolorp and white leghorn. They all get along great.
 
Gotta love whatever is going on inside our feathered friends tiny little heads
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I have 6 x bantams and 3 x nest boxes which easily fit 2 x bantams in each. I only ever find eggs in one of the nest boxes, the other 2 do not get used. They push, shove and squabble to lay in the one nest box and yes, they even form a queue in the coop or jump up and down and tell the whole neighbourhood that ‘she is in my nest box’
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My original coop had five boxes.
They were laying eggs everywhere with no regard to the boxes.
I took an old little dog house and attached it to the coop and put a door on the back of it. From then on, that's where I found all my eggs.
I hope my new birds do the same.


C'MON LAY SOME EGGS YOU CHICKENS!!!!!!
 
Huge fan of external mounted box with dividers and top lid. 9x9 or 10x10 size entrance to each box from coop. Just did a three nest box for new coop. Cut a 10x30" hole and using 2x2's as nailers made for three 9x10 openings.


The box is screwed to the outside 2x2's and a few 12xwhatever plywood nailed to the inner 2x2's for divider.


The 1x3' box with sides that slope 14 inches to 12.


The lid with hinges mounted to coop. It's stained now.

Not original but a old and easy design that's proven itself over the years. I'm a fan of smaller coops and on stilts so feed stays dry and the nest boxes are easily accessed. Openings for birds are just 2 inches or so above the bedding material in coop. They seem to like them low. And of course they need to be lower than roosts or they'll just roost in the nest dirtying them up and the eggs.
 
I've been happy with my remodeling of my coop. I thought adding partitions to the open nesting area but I watched them a little longer and now I see they have made 4 nests in the open area ... they just never sit at the same time unless they're at the far ends. Then there are some who have remained loyal to the old boxes and continue to use them.

I got a surprise today when I went to pick up my new dozen chicks. Seems the grower sent 9 'freebies' that look like Barred Rock's to me (I hope) .....said they were sent to keep the group warm.... I won't keep any that turn out to be roos but the rest are welcome ... bringing my total gals to 28 ...

That will hopefully put my production at 2 dz eggs/day by next June.
 

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