Anyone build nesting boxes outside the coop?

[CuteChick369]

I am a new chicken owner and have four hens who are not yet laying, but should be getting close. We built a very small 4x4 chicken coop, raised up off the ground 2 feet for the girls. I regret already building such a small coop, as I'm finding it hard to put nesting boxes inside. I used up every ounce of my construction and design skills (which was only about an ounce and a half of skill to begin with!) to build what we have, and at the time I could NOT get an external nesting box to work out, so for now I'd like to try to not go the route of building an external box attached to the coop (you know, the kind they access from within the coop, and that has a hinged roof to get the eggs from outside.). So, this is what I have, the plastic boxes are screwed into the walls and perch:



The problem is that one of the girls has started nesting on the top box, resting on the lowered lip portion of the front of it. I don't really mind this, but it's going to mean dirty eggs and I'd rather they not nest there.

So, I'm thinking of building nesting boxes outside in the run. The chickens free range almost all day, but they do have a run for when we are gone, and even when free ranging they have access to the run. They also LOVE to hang out in the sandbox under our tree fort, so I thought I might put nesting boxes there. Just curious if anyone else has put them outside the coop and how that went? My chickens never go into their coop during the day (who would, it's so small!) so unless they lay their eggs first thing in the morning, before I let them out, I don't know that they'd voluntarily go into the coop to lay.

Thoughts?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Not uncorrectable.
You need to move the nests down and the roost up. Chickens like to sleep as high as possible. The way your current setup is, they'll sleep in the nest and poop there.

 

[CuteChick369]

That's a good idea. I am afraid to get the roost too high. It's about 18 inches off the ground now. I don't want them to hurt their feet when they jump off, and there isn't enough space to fly off of it in this little coop. How high would be too high?

 

[wayne hulgan]

Not uncorrectable.
You need to move the nests down and the roost up. Chickens like to sleep as high as possible. The way your current setup is, they'll sleep in the nest and poop there.

I like your ideal of the plastic tubs, but I have to agree with ChickenCanoe, they are gona roost as high as they can get.

 

[wayne hulgan]

That's a good idea. I am afraid to get the roost too high. It's about 18 inches off the ground now. I don't want them to hurt their feet when they jump off, and there isn't enough space to fly off of it in this little coop. How high would be too high?

how about adding a step to the roost? move the roost higher and add another step for them to use when going and coming from the roost. my coop is 4' high and the roost is 38" high. we have a step at 24". our chicks have no problems getting up or down, even the fat ones. maybe you could move your nest boxes to the floor and add another roost board where they were.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

18" is actually a very low roost for most breeds. Depending on the building dimensions I put mine about 4'. Even at that they often sleep in the rafters way over my head and jump right to the floor in the morning. I have pine shavings on the floor but they still sound like a ton of bricks falling.
The main caution on height is far enough from the ceiling to keep them from breaking their neck hitting the roof jumping up. My highest roosts are about twice the height of a chicken from the roof.

 

[CuteChick369]

Thank you all! I am going to play around with the floor plan some more. I have wanted to put the nest boxes on the floor from the start, but haven't been able to figure a good way to do it. Moving the perch up would help. Thank you again!!

 

[truckguy]

My roost is only about 24" off the ground and nest boxes on the floor. So far no issues with them roosting.

They aren't laying eggs yet but the roost no problem. I wish I would have made my roof higher on mine as well. I may do that at some future date or something else not sure yet.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

My first coop was similar in size to yours and I put the nesting boxes flush on the floor. I then had the roost a bit higher than the nesting boxes. It worked fine. I had four girls and two nesting boxes. I later removed one nesting box because the girls would only use one box. Of course, it was the same box so I had a box taking up room that wasn't being used.

I know there's not a lot of floor room in a smaller coop but my girls were outside mostly so it didn't matter that they had little room in the coop.

 

[lnsling]

I am a new chicken owner and have four hens who are not yet laying, but should be getting close. We built a very small 4x4 chicken coop, raised up off the ground 2 feet for the girls. I regret already building such a small coop, as I'm finding it hard to put nesting boxes inside. I used up every ounce of my construction and design skills (which was only about an ounce and a half of skill to begin with!) to build what we have, and at the time I could NOT get an external nesting box to work out, so for now I'd like to try to not go the route of building an external box attached to the coop (you know, the kind they access from within the coop, and that has a hinged roof to get the eggs from outside.). So, this is what I have, the plastic boxes are screwed into the walls and perch:



The problem is that one of the girls has started nesting on the top box, resting on the lowered lip portion of the front of it. I don't really mind this, but it's going to mean dirty eggs and I'd rather they not nest there.

So, I'm thinking of building nesting boxes outside in the run. The chickens free range almost all day, but they do have a run for when we are gone, and even when free ranging they have access to the run. They also LOVE to hang out in the sandbox under our tree fort, so I thought I might put nesting boxes there. Just curious if anyone else has put them outside the coop and how that went? My chickens never go into their coop during the day (who would, it's so small!) so unless they lay their eggs first thing in the morning, before I let them out, I don't know that they'd voluntarily go into the coop to lay.

Thoughts?

Those nails/screws coming thru the roof could hurt your chickens when they are going in and out of the boxws.