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

[hipeatall]

I bought a really nice (and pretty expensive) 6 hole steel nesting box. All the hens refused to use it and lay their eggs in milk crates instead.
I'm thinking I will make the fancy one into a planter maybe

 

[maggiemooscluckers]

I built three next boxes in a row. Each is about 14x14 with a top. Most of the girls will lay in there but someone, I don't know who, keeps laying over in a corner. I figured I would solve the problem and put a milk crate in the same corner with pine shavings in it. So far so good. Found three eggs in there so far and none on the floor.

 

[deserthens]

I bought a 3 hole nest box at the feed store. But the hens prefer to use an old cat carrier that is in their run. I think they will use what ever they decide is the right place. I agree it could be a privacy issue. I may try to modify the nest box to increase their feeling of privacy.

 

[catdaddy66]

When I saw this thing I immediately wanted one!

How awesome is that for nests?!

 

[noodleroo]

I used a closed kitty litter box, too until they decided they liked the grass under my passion vine! They'll use what they have until they find someplace they like better...

 

[AinaWGSD]

External nest boxes (the whole box w/roof thing) are far from 100% necessary. As you can see from the other replies, there are tons of things you can use for nest boxes. I do have an external nest box with 3 boxes because my coop is very small and I can't spare the floor space for nest boxes. They all prefer one, the one farthest from both the human door and the pop door, although they will occasionally lay in the next one over if the preferred box is occupied. I've only once found an egg in the 3rd one and have since stopped bothering to put hay in it at all.

 

[Pinky]

Quote:
That is cool. I would like to have one like that!

 

[wonderpup]

Well now I feel better. I can't wait until they are old enough to lay eggs. They are spending their first night outside in the new coop. It's like a graduation of sorts for them. Guess I'll find them some nest boxes soon when they get closer to needing them.

 

[TigerLilly]

Quote:
I also use the buckets, though only 2 of them in my big coop. And my 'lids' (to keep the bedding in) aren't nearly as big. I wish I had enough chickens to need that many nests!

 

[savingdogs]

Our coop does have a low roof especially where the nest boxes are, but we have no top to ours. We just used plastic bins from the Dollar store. My husband built a little spot for each to sit in by placing one board across, and then dividers between each one to make it private. We have a curtain in front. The bins are very easy to reach in and collect eggs from and also to take out and dump to clean and put in fresh nesting material.