attached nest box - need input

[ebonykawai]

Hi! I built my coop this weekend and need some help with the nest box. I'm going to put it on the outside with a door cut through the wall of the coop, to give more inside space to the birds. The problem is, the walls of the coop are relatively thin, about 1/2 inch, I think. I'm not sure that can support a nest box. Is there something I can do to give the wall more strength/support, so I can attach the nest box? Also, I should probably make it as light as I can, right? Maybe using 1/2" or 3/4" plywood or something? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Lisa

 

[rooster-red]

You could use shelf braces under it and attached to the wall.

1/2" plywood will be plenty strong enough.

 

[ebonykawai]

Wow, great idea!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!

 

[okto]

my entire coop is made of 1/2"cdx and i needed a nest box so
i did just that, cut a hole in the side when the ladies were old
enough and mounted a box on the outside, like this:

i just made a couple of triangles out of 1/2"cdx and used an angle bracket
at the top. triangles on the bottom (with a paint stirrer as a shim)

and it opens from the outside, with a latch.

 

[patandchickens]

Half inch ply is plenty strong, but it does not give much for screws to grip into. So, a stronger construction would be to add pieces of 1x2 or 2x2 or whatever bits like that you've got sitting around, as a sort of 'frame' on the inside of the coop wall outlining where you wanna screw the nest box on.

The easiest way to start is to glue or tack these reinforcing strips lightly in place there with finishing brads or small screws, doesn't matter, all you want is for them to stay put for a minute. Then you drill pilot holes in from the outside, thru the plywood and into the 1x2 reinforcing strips, and screw thru into that to attach the nest box. (Or do it from the inside, depends on exactly how you intend to put the nest box on).

The result is that any stresses on the nest box, like getting leaned on or bumped into, are not carried just by a couple little screws and the thin rim of plywood they screw into, but rather the stresses transfer to the WHOLE long piece(s) of 1x2. Spreads the load to a wide area of plywood, makes it much stronger.

Hope this makes some degree of sense

,

Pat

 

[Poison Ivy]

In this picture you can see the frame around the inside of the coop that the nest box is attached to.

 

[ebonykawai]

Thanks so much for all the great ideas, everybody! I'm getting really excited, I get my birdies in about a month!

 

[ebonykawai]

One other question, please! Okto, I think our plywood is exactly the same for the nest box. How did you put it together: glue, nails, or screws? I'm afraid to crack it and just have the pieces cut out right now, waiting for me to figure it out.

Thank you!!

 

[skatcatla]

I did just this as well, and I have to say not nearly as elegantly as the other people on this thread! I just used wood screws to attach the wood box (made of 1/2 inch plywood) to the back of the existing coop. We tightened the screws by hand very carefully so it wouldn't crack the plywood.

I now have a single piece of 2 x 4 underneath the box as sort of an extra "leg", but its actually strong enough to support the weight of two hens even without the leg.

From the inside, before I put the hay in it. I've since added another piece of wood in front to keep them from kicking the hay out:

From the outside. When I took this photo I had stuck the nest box the coop came with underneath. I've since replaced it with a single piece of wood:

From the top (it has a hinged lid

 

[ebonykawai]

Hey, I'm almost there! It's really freezing out, so I've been working in my garage. I have the pilot holes for the nest box drilled and decided to attach a 2' x 2' x 1/2" plywood square to the area in addition, for extra support. It's all set, really. Just need some daylight tomorrow to get it done. Probably won't take more than 20 minutes. Thanks for your help, everyone!