Plans for Nesting Boxes

[zekii]

Hello,
We are looking for some plans for indoor nesting boxes for our new coop, not accessible from the outside.
6 boxes, 3 over 3

Send me any pictures or plans you may have....
thanks very much !!!

Happy New Year !!

 

[briteday]

Grey plastic garage storage bins from Lowes, about $8 each. Not free, but I didn't have luck with buckets or milk crates. And the materials and time to build boxes would cost more than $8 each.

I have four nests for 23 hens, about 15 eggs per day at this time of year. Bunches of them tend to use the same nest boxes every day. One nest gets about 8 eggs/day. Another nest only gets 2 eggs/day. And one of the other nests is often occupied by the perennially broody resident silkie! So no one gets to lay an egg there...

 

[txhomegrown]

I am curious as to how many nest boxes I will need. What is the ration of hens per nest box? This will help to figure out what type of boxes to use.

 

[gsim]

Quote:

As you can see, I just used 12 x 12 x 3"deep plastic boxes. Easy to clean. I just use grass clippings for litter and for nests. Free and smells good.

 

[uphilljill]

Here's some pics of DH making our side-by-side nesting boxes. I'm sure it could be easily modified to make a duplex. (Sorry I seem to be missing the finished photo. If you want I can try to take one this weekend.) Of course, a goat helper is needed to build anything.

 

[SarahJaneB]

These nest boxes are accesible from the coop area as well as the dry storage area. They're just 4 over 4 though.

I really really like this design. Simple and looks easy enough for me to try and build tomorrow Thank you for posting

 

[tymimo]

Here are my nesting boxes. I started with a 14" wide piece of plywood and cut an angle from 17 inches to 14 inches. These became the sides of the boxes. I used 2x4s that I ripped to 1.75" (basically homemade 2x2s) to strengthen the sides for attaching to the coop and bottom. The "shingles" are flooring samples over plywood.

 

[Judy]

I looked at your BYC page. First, you need to add a bunch more ventilation to what you've built so far; you will need it both for summer and winter. You will probably not need more than 3 or 4 nests, and not until fall if you're going to start with chicks.

I'd urge you to read this first:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

 

[chicks4kids]

These nest boxes are accesible from the coop area as well as the dry storage area. They're just 4 over 4 though.

 

[zekii]

Quote:
Very nice basic design ... Does anyone line their nest boxes with linoleum/vinyl flooring or use plastic tubs ?