Show us your nest boxes! Ingenous design post it here!

[aart]

Didn't get through the 57pages of forums so this may have been mentioned.

Has anyone tried building a setup like this...

putting a roost with the sand poo catch on top.

row or two of nesting boxes

brooder pen / quarantine area at the bottom.

Also anyone have luck with the buckets or plastic bins?

Look thru this photo album, he has nests under his poop board:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1088771/lightbox/

I've seen some folks with brooders under the poop board.....you can't truly quarantine in the coop.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I was thinking of trying the poop trays or droppings board but was worried it would take up too much space in my coop so i might just do regular roosts. We'll see.

 

[JeremyCarlsten]

Look thru this photo album, he has nests under his poop board:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1088771/lightbox/

I've seen some folks with brooders under the poop board.....you can't truly quarantine in the coop.

Well yes it won't protect the other ladies from disease, but I could use it to protect the injured (picked on, attacked by preditor,etc) from the rest.

 

[aart]

Quote: In the chickeneering world that would be called isolation, rather than quarantine.
Semantics maybe, I know, but......

 

[gmatson]

Here are my cardboard nest boxes.

 

[coopschicks]

Our 4 month old girls started to lay eggs unexpectedly so we had to get some nesting boxes up asap. My husband copied an idea using 5 gallon buckets, which we already had. Only took him a few minutes and here we are!

 

[JeremyCarlsten]

In the chickeneering world that would be called isolation, rather than quarantine.
Semantics maybe, I know, but......

I stand corrected, thanks

 

[aart]

Quote: A good way to browse thru these huge threads is to click n the 'view all' on the 'recent mages in this thread'.....
.....up on right side of screen on a laptop,not sure if it's an option on mobile app tho..
Another thread that might interest you is the poop board thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/621363/poop-board-convert-warning-graphic-gross-poop-pictures

 

[Sevanson Woods]

Newly made nestboxes (before adding the hay)....We used scrap wood from a collapsed barn, etc. (2x4's, 1x6's cut in half, & plywood) one large piece paneling from lowes ($12) for the backing, staples, & screws....

 

[knwisdom]

I started with a very classic design and due to coop size stacked them so I have 4 boxes in a 2x2 design with roosts higher than the boxes. I have a roost board that goes from there lower set of night roosts to the upper set of boxes and perch right in front of the lower set. All boxes have fake ceramic eggs which I marked with an F since they look really real.

My first hen to lay eggs, Bells (bared rock), really spoiled me and took right to the boxes. She taught the next hen. Then the remaining 5 all started laying at once and all heck broke loose. There were eggs everywhere. Bells was guarding the boxes and not letting anyone else in.



Solution #1- I added curtains and she calmed down and a couple hens caught on.



Then one of my buff orphingtons, Lily, decided she hated the boxes and started teaching everyone to lay eggs everywhere else.
Solution #2 - I searched BYC and got some great advice. I blocked off the other laying spots. Added darker curtains to one of the boxes and took one of my fake eggs out of one of the nest boxes in case she wanted an empty box.

Solution #2 was a total failure, no improvement. But I remembered something I read about watching the hens to see what their preferences are and potentially using a communal nest box and it got me thinking and a new design for an additional box on the other side of the coop. Yes I played awake thinking about this. Chickens really can be an obsession.

Solution #3 - The next day I designed and added a new box on the other side of the coop. It is level with a ladder landing so it has easy access for even my special needs chicken that doesn't see so well. It is large enough for 2 hens at once. It does not have a sloped roof, I think that was really freaking out Lily. Instead of curtains I added a solid front that goes a little more than half way across so there is a darker side and lighter side. It still has a lift top for me for easy egg collection.





So far, I just installed it this week, things have gotten much better. Lily is the only one still laying on the ground, but she did explore the new box today. It is the first time she has ever gone in a box on her own so I am confident she will figure it out.

For me the lesson learned is no two chickens are the same so why should the boxes all be the same. Maybe some variety is just what that picky hen is looking for. Thanks for everyones help and great ideas.