A couple questions about attaching an externally accessible nesting box

[Joshua-n-fam]

Howdy all! So we're closing in on the final weeks before our first eggs should start showing up. Our Buff should be in the zone within the next 3-4 weeks, and the rest of the flock is 2 weeks behind. So, it's time to get a nesting box plan into place.

A friend of our family has a pretty impressive and elaborate micro-farm on her property that includes an open top run that's always accessible, and a dog to provide the protection that the run and coop do not. Her nesting solution is outside in the run and consists of two Little Giant netsting boxes secured to her fence. For us, for our setup, that's not what I want. First, I know that I'm going to be the person checking for eggs every day, and I like the external setup for it's ease-of-entry, as well as it's physical appearance (I won't lie). Also on all of these projects I'm flexing my carpentry skills, and those plastic nesting boxes cost 20-30 each and I'm positive I can get the same egg output at a fraction of the cost by just adding a crap ton of my own freetime to the situation and build this thing out of wood.

So this past weekend I spent an hour or two making an external nesting box with a few pointers from a set of plans I found. I made it roughly 12'' on the low side, 18'' on the high side, and 14'' deep (from the coop outwards).

So now for the questions:

1. Should I make the roof hinged, or the front hinged? I think if I make the front hinged then I avoid a lot of leak problems, but I can't have the front hinge into the down position because it'd hit the roof. I can make the front door smaller in height but I think that would be too small. I can have it lift and hook, or slide sideways, but that's a little akward and requires a lot of additional construction of a track etc.

2. How do I connect the nest to the coop and have a strong solid build that I don't have to worry about without creating a huge external framing system?I considered building an internal frame and then using long bolts, as I think even if I used a ton of long quality screws it'd still be a little iffy. What are your thoughts?

3. And finally, if I do this design and have an external setup like this, would the chickens benefit at all from me raising it up and using that window opening as the top part of the entrance to the nesting box, and having something under the nesting box as additional coop space, essentially adding about 3 square feet of space to the coop? Like this...



Or is that just a stupid idea? Especially considering that the side the nesting box will be on isn't a "low side", but rather an end cap side?


All suggestions, help, and certainly critique is welcome. Thank you so much to everyone that provides help and gives advice here.

 

[4 the Birds]

Howdy,
Some good questions. I built my external box separately and then pulled it over to the coop on a toy wagon (it was very heavy since I added rigid insulation in all sides and double panels). I attached the box with long wood screws frame to frame and then added 2"x2" ninety degree metal angles as well. My boxes openings were designed so that each box opening in the coop is between the coop studs. The hinged lid can be tricky if you are detailed like me about no drafts what-so-ever. You can hinge the upper or lower but the upper makes more sense to me due to gravity to keep it closed if a it is unlatched or a big wind comes. My lid weighs so much that it is not latched! Hard to tell from my picture but my lid is set back from the coop wall 4" so that it can swing up and stay angled against the coop as I collect eggs. I just added a 2x4 where the box meets the coop and another one angled up. This creates a trough on the back side of the box for water to drain away. I used "goodstuff' which is a spray foam to seal any cracks and make it waterproof. My nest box lid also has a lips on the side so that no drafts can enter. The boxes are absolutely air and water tight which is a must for Summer storms and Winter blowing snows). I then added weather stripping along the top edges of the box where the lid meets it. The space below the box could certainly be used and is a good option to support the box. Just add support boards for the box and enclose.

I love external boxes! They free up room in the coop and much easier to reach under chickens in the nest to collect eggs from behind (they peck you from the front!). Hope this helps.

External Box. Hard to see but metal angles can be seen where the box meets the coop stud wall. I big roof overhang is also very nice to keep rains away from the box, vents, or open windows.


Boxes from inside. You can see a little spray foam in the upper left corner of the box.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I am also in the planning stages of my coop and nestboxes. I like the idea of an opening top since you won't have to stoop to see in the boxes, but I also like the idea of the front opening so it's real easy to clean the boxes out.

If your roof overhangs too much to have a front opening door then try reducing the overhang. Or reduce the slope of the roof so the front of the box can be taller and leave room for a door that is not full height so it don't hit the roof.

How small is too small for the front opening doors? You'll only be reaching in with your hand to gather eggs and pull material out when cleaning so I'm thinking that 6" while seeming small would be big enough of an opening to gather eggs. But I'm not speaking from experience so I may be wrong. But you aren't using this door to change feeders, waterers, walk into the coop, etc etc. Just reaching in for eggs.

 

[chfite]

My nest box mounts from the outside. It is self-contained with the dividers built in to the box itself. The roof is sloped and shingled, hinged to the wall. The eave above keeps water from falling onto the top of the box so that it does not enter along the wall of the coop. The shingles are ramped against the wall of the coop.

The top has a hasp and latch, but is so heavy with the shingles that it is quite difficult to open unlatched. When the top is opened, I set a bucket into the nest and put the eggs into it. I move the bucket from nest to nest to avoid moving eggs over the dividers. I have broken some eggs trying to move them over the dividers.

It is simple enough to clean the nests out by pulling the shavings out through the open top.

Chris

 

[Joshua-n-fam]

Got the nesting box installed! Here it is:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/767838/t-3-weeks-till-possible-first-egg-build-a-nesting-box