Building PVC "Egg Ports" for Access to Existing Coop Nestboxes

[Scifisarah]

We installed these three "egg ports" about 5 years after building our coop. We got tired of having to climb inside every day for eggs and getting all dusty and sneezy. We used 6" sewer & drain green pvc pipe and some slip on caps we got at Lowe's. The 3' pipe was around $15, and the caps $5 each. If you need a longer pipe you could get a 10 footer but the short pipe fit our needs perfectly. U Bolts were an easy and cheap solution for handles. My husband had to cut through the two layers of the coop with a jigsaw and make sure the circles were level and even from each other so the pipe went straight through. We left the pipe sticking through the inside hole about half an inch, used one screw on the top of the pipe screwed in diagonally into the back of the nest boxes and finished by sealing with outdoor rated caulk on the out side only since the chickens would probably eat it. Viola, easy egg ports in your existing coop!

 

[Jakl]

That's pretty neat. I always wanted the kind of coop that looks like a little breezeway horse barn. The one I saw, you lifted the roof (on hinges) over the "stall" part of the barn, and there were the nest boxes!!

But I have weird chickens, they lay on the floor, and up on top of the row of boxes as well as in the boxes, always have, lol.

 

[Scifisarah]

I'm sure ours would do this as well so we put our nest boxes just off the floor with enough room for wood shavings underneath. We have bantam cochins and I don't think their leaping ability, especially in confined places, is that great anyway!

That's pretty neat. I always wanted the kind of coop that looks like a little breezeway horse barn. The one I saw, you lifted the roof (on hinges) over the "stall" part of the barn, and there were the nest boxes!!

But I have weird chickens, they lay on the floor, and up on top of the row of boxes as well as in the boxes, always have, lol.

 

[polyanvil]

this is a good idea and it looks really cool as well. Thanks for sharing

 

[johndjones]

In my life time, I have encountered too many snakes in hen nests to be sticking my hand through a hole like that!!!! I looks neat but I just could never use them...

 

[Scifisarah]

You can pretty much see the entire nest box except for about an inch at the back. Our coop is also 2 feet off the ground, and I've only see garter snakes and pine snakes in our Michigan yard, but I would still be nervous if there was a chance of anything but eggs being in there!

In my life time, I have encountered too many snakes in hen nests to be sticking my hand through a hole like that!!!! I looks neat but I just could never use them...