"Best Nest Box"

[SteveJTree]

Hello,
I am brand new to this, I don't even have any chicks yet. Is anyone using the "Best Nest Box"? I Found them on Youtube, they sound great. I have 3 old metal sheds I would like to empty out & use as coops. Any input is much appreciated.

This is the original cabin on the property, the approximate 156 ft perimeter is a thought for the run, the 3 sheds are to the north of the cabin, the grey piece is a car port.

 

[cavemanrich]

You need to include some more information.
Your location and climate.
Size of sheds.
Number of chickens you want.
Reason for chickens,,, (eggs?/meat?/pets?)
Nest box is probably like #30 in list of priorities
Try to ask more specific questions, as we don't know exactly what to suggest, or where to start. There are more than enough peeps here to help you out with answers.

I suggest you first start small and get your feet wet. Then when you have some chicken keeping experience, you will know what will work BEST FOR YOU...
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[New2Chicks97]

Honestly I haven’t found chickens to be as picky as humans when it comes to nesting boxes/places. A good portion of mine love to lay in the hay bales that I put in their run. The rest lay in the aluminum nesting boxes I bought for them. They aren’t fancy like the Best Nest Boxes but my chickens don’t seem to mind.

 

[townchicks]

I don't know about the nest box, but I'll tell you, metal sheds can be dicey in the summer heat. Chickens don't handle heat as well as they do cold. Lots and lots of ventilation and some insulation might make metal sheds work for you, but I know my wooden shed gets way to hot in the summer sun.

 

[SteveJTree]

You need to include some more information.
Your location and climate.
Size of sheds.
Number of chickens you want.
Reason for chickens,,, (eggs?/meat?/pets?)
Nest box is probably like #30 in list of priorities
Try to ask more specific questions, as we don't know exactly what to suggest, or where to start. There are more than enough peeps here to help you out with answers.

I suggest you first start small and get your feet wet. Then when you have some chicken keeping experience, you will know what will work BEST FOR YOU...
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

Thank you cavemanrich,

 

[SteveJTree]

Honestly I haven’t found chickens to be as picky as humans when it comes to nesting boxes/places. A good portion of mine love to lay in the hay bales that I put in their run. The rest lay in the aluminum nesting boxes I bought for them. They aren’t fancy like the Best Nest Boxes but my chickens don’t seem to mind.

Thank you New2Chicks97

 

[SteveJTree]

I don't know about the nest box, but I'll tell you, metal sheds can be dicey in the summer heat. Chickens don't handle heat as well as they do cold. Lots and lots of ventilation and some insulation might make metal sheds work for you, but I know my wooden shed gets way to hot in the summer sun.

Thank you townchicks

 

[CapricornFarm]

12x12x12 is a good size unless you have really big chickens. I build my own of wood.

 

[Chad Oftedal]

When I was building my coop, I researched the roll-out nest boxes. I found one online that I liked, bought it, and then built it in to my coop wall (made special space for it). Now that my chickens are laying, they use the floor, the droppings board, and a few use my nice rollout nest box. Since I realized that my only option for them was the rollout nest box, I broke down and bought a couple of plastic nest boxes on a whim when I was shopping at TSC a few weeks ago. I put them low in the corners - the best I could - of the coop where they were laying. I added fake eggs to the new nest boxes as well. My thought here is that with three nest boxes now, and two of them in the corners that they were already laying, I'd at least get them all in nest boxes. The new ones are just a simple hop up and in, in the area they were already happily laying.

So, now, the hen that was using the droppings board, has moved to the roll out nest box. The others, upset with the new encroaching nest boxes have resorted to laying on the floor in the middle of the coop, or in the cramped little space that is left in the corners of the coop - next to the new nest boxes. Oh, and just for a bit of humiliation, they've resorted to pushing the fake eggs out of the new nest boxes a couple of times. Sort of taunting me, I think.

My plan tomorrow is to take the fake eggs out of the new nest boxes. I guess they are proving that they will go in there since they have kicked the fakes out. Maybe they are telling me, "Yeah, we get what these or for, you don't need to insult our intelligence with fake eggs." In the end, I have yet to have any broken eggs, or other issues with the laying, other than the location. Truth be told, they're still laying in a warm, dry, coop and other than losing a wits match to a bunch of chickens, in the big picture, everything is fine. If there was a pressing reason, I'd try more options to force the issue, but for a max of 8 eggs a day, it's lower on the priority list.

Anyway, from my experience, I'd say give them warm, safe, easily accessible nest box options in a style and price point that fits your needs and go from there. If you're lucky, they'll agree with you.

 

[New2Chicks97]

When I was building my coop, I researched the roll-out nest boxes. I found one online that I liked, bought it, and then built it in to my coop wall (made special space for it). Now that my chickens are laying, they use the floor, the droppings board, and a few use my nice rollout nest box. Since I realized that my only option for them was the rollout nest box, I broke down and bought a couple of plastic nest boxes on a whim when I was shopping at TSC a few weeks ago. I put them low in the corners - the best I could - of the coop where they were laying. I added fake eggs to the new nest boxes as well. My thought here is that with three nest boxes now, and two of them in the corners that they were already laying, I'd at least get them all in nest boxes. The new ones are just a simple hop up and in, in the area they were already happily laying.

So, now, the hen that was using the droppings board, has moved to the roll out nest box. The others, upset with the new encroaching nest boxes have resorted to laying on the floor in the middle of the coop, or in the cramped little space that is left in the corners of the coop - next to the new nest boxes. Oh, and just for a bit of humiliation, they've resorted to pushing the fake eggs out of the new nest boxes a couple of times. Sort of taunting me, I think.

My plan tomorrow is to take the fake eggs out of the new nest boxes. I guess they are proving that they will go in there since they have kicked the fakes out. Maybe they are telling me, "Yeah, we get what these or for, you don't need to insult our intelligence with fake eggs." In the end, I have yet to have any broken eggs, or other issues with the laying, other than the location. Truth be told, they're still laying in a warm, dry, coop and other than losing a wits match to a bunch of chickens, in the big picture, everything is fine. If there was a pressing reason, I'd try more options to force the issue, but for a max of 8 eggs a day, it's lower on the priority list.

Anyway, from my experience, I'd say give them warm, safe, easily accessible nest box options in a style and price point that fits your needs and go from there. If you're lucky, they'll agree with you.

LOL! Yep.....exactly this. Chickens can be quite tricky little buggers! Even if you can’t make them all happy at least their antics are amusing!

For the life of me I can’t figure out why mine want to lay outside in hay bales but half of my girls do.

The other half only use two of the 4 boxes available. There is always a line for those two boxes while two sit empty. All the while they create a ruckus because someone is in “their” box! Our Black sexlink laid her egg then sat in the box for another 10 minutes. Why you ask? Well obviously because the Buff Orpington was sitting right outside chirping at her the whole time she was laying. Chicken drama