Dimensions of a great Nesting Box?

[huntsman]

I finally succumbed to guilt and am in the middle of building an extension to my chicken run, viz....a coop!

Since the flock is going to -finally!- sleep nice and snug, I was toying with the idea of building some nesting boxes into the one wall, as I've seen in so many pics here. Sadly, I'm no handyman, and I would appreciate knowing what dimensions to use. Plans/sketches are welcomed!

My wall is about 7' wide by 4' high and I have 10 x standards and 10 x banties if that's of any use in determining what will work best.

Thank you!

 

[BlueEggs4Life]

I am not handy either and therefore did not build my nest boxes haha. I found some plastic storage totes at the supermarket used for kids room storage and they were called "nesting box totes" and came in bright pink, blue or green. My gals love them! (they seem to prefer the darker blue as the others seem to let more light into the box and they like privacy. I also have one that refuses to lay anywhere but in an old plastic throw away pot. silly.

 

[Roo_in_the_roost]

The ones they sell at my local farm and ranch store are 18 inches square. not that I would pay $25.00 a piece for them, but I sized them when I was there.

 

[huntsman]

I've been using tomato boxes thus far, but those 'custom jobs' look really cool!

18" x 18"...? How high are they, pmc?

 

[Roo_in_the_roost]

Also 18 inches but they went about 12 inches on each side then came to a triangle another 6 inches with a perch or handle acrossed the top the back was squared off at the 12 inch line and the front had a little 3 inch lip to hold the hay I presume. As you can tell this is the design I plan to use if/when I make roosting boxes so far I've just put a bunch of hay on the ground and they've made thier own roosts, seem to be laying fine 2-4 eggs a day out of 5 chickens. And the one that I know isn't laying was attacked by a dog. No real damage but it took some feathers and she's been real skiddish every sence then.

 

[bfrancis]

My boxes are 12 x 12 x 16 Tall Used scrape material and pretty easy. You can go to my coop page to see the finished product.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
I agree, Plastic Storage totes are PERFECT, The don't rot, if they get dirty inside you can just hose them out. Since most of your hens will prefer to all lay in the same nest box, sometimes 2 at a time, the totes are good because 2 hens can fit comfortably in them, maybe even three, and if you have a broody hen you can just move her box and all.

 

[huntsman]

Nice page, bfrancis and a lucky flock to live in that mansion!

RAREROO, do you have a pic of the 'totes' you mentioned? I'm in Africa, and just want to understand correctly. Thanks!

 

[elmo]

I have two lidded plastic storage totes as nestboxes and wish I'd bought more when they were available. I needed a third nestbox so I ended up buying a covered kitty litter box (shh...don't tell my hen what she's nesting in).

I'm paranoid about mites in the nestbox because a friend of ours lost chicks last summer to a mite infestation he didn't notice until it had already claimed the life of some of his chicks. Plastic is easy to clean and there are no crevices that mites can hide in.

Plus, I'm loving that the nestboxes aren't fixed to the wall and can easily be moved. Not only does it make it easier to clean them out, but I'm finding it very useful to manage my broody hens in them. I don't have to move the hen and eggs out of the nestbox to settle her where I want her, I just move the whole box with hen and eggs inside.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Here's a picture of the totes I use. They were briefly available at Target, aren't there anymore, and I can't find them anymore. Waa! I want more!

http://www.hpii.com/products/productdetails.aspx?pId=55