Does it matter what you make a nest box out of ?

[wonderpup]

My husband kept chickens as a child and he apparently used old coke crates from a store his dad worked at and his chickens laid fine. He is busy building our chicken house as we speak but hasn't built actual nest boxes into the design. I was wondering if a whole box with a roof and all was really 100% a must have for them to lay. Operating on the idea of him using shallow crates I was wondering if meduim sized litter boxes like the cheap-o's you can get a walmart would do the trick. We have several of those that have never been used for the cats. I use them from time to time for washing the furnishing and skirts on my dogs at shows but really don't have anyone who requires that anymore. Anyway we have extras and want to know if the chickens could use them.

 

[gritsar]

I use extra large covered kitty litter boxes for nestboxes. My hens seem to prefer them over the open boxes. They like boxes that are nice and private.

 

[SuziQ991]

I have 3 different nesting boxes and the hens use them all. One is a pet taxi that I took the door off of. The other is a crate like you are talking about. The other is the covered litter box gritstar uses.

 

[Hoopie82]

I use nesting boxex that I built, and I also use old plastic milk crates. Both seem to work

 

[tgperg]

We use plastic organizer bins and they seem to like them very well.

https://picasaweb.google.com/tgperg/ChickenCoop#5545179456311568130

Traci

 

[Imp]

I use 5 gal buckets, from Home Depot, turned on their sides.

Imp

 

[bluere11e]

Quote:
X2.. They're easier to clean too.. and VERY private

 

[Pinky]

One of my hens used an old mailbox shaped like a barn as her nest box. The rest of my hens use boxs I built.

 

[cpegram]

i use milk crates

 

[BookWorm243]

I use milk/coke crates. My hens would not use anything else as a nesting box