External nesting box and door

[pkgal21]

As I'm designing my coop, I've decided that I wantu nesting box within the door so when I open the door to go in, the nesting box opens with it. I'm making the nesting box accessable from the outside as well.

Has anyone done this and do you have advice/pics?

 

[TomZilla43]

As I'm designing my coop, I've decided that I wantu nesting box within the door so when I open the door to go in, the nesting box opens with it. I'm making the nesting box accessable from the outside as well.

Has anyone done this and do you have advice/pics?

I've seen pics of it, I recently built a new coop w/ a large door going into the coop(for ease of clean-out). I chose to build my nesting boxes on another side. But if you are putting a big door on it you could certainly do that. It would be just like adding cabinetry boxes to the outside of the door. Now that being said you would need really good strong hinges because that's going to add quite a bit of weight to the door(even if it's only 2 0r 3 nest boxes). And if it's the door you actually walk into for primary access to the coop you may want to use a split door design. Just how I think about it when I visualize what you're talking about. There are such a wide variety of designs! Best of luck with your new coop, hope it turns out great for you!

 

[bruceha2000]

You are going to build the external nest box ON the people door? Like @TomZilla43 said, you need some serious hinges, at least 3, likely 4 and the rest of the door has to be really solid.

Not sure I understand why one would want to to this. What happens when there are hens in the boxes and you swing the door? Seems like it would freak them out.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

As I'm designing my coop, I've decided that I wantu nesting box within the door so when I open the door to go in, the nesting box opens with it. I'm making the nesting box accessable from the outside as well.

Has anyone done this and do you have advice/pics?

Wouldn't you be running the risk of opening the door with chickens inside the nest box laying?

 

[TomZilla43]

As I'm designing my coop, I've decided that I wantu nesting box within the door so when I open the door to go in, the nesting box opens with it. I'm making the nesting box accessable from the outside as well.

Has anyone done this and do you have advice/pics?

Oh and if you want a blue million pics to look at.....if you're on Pinterest just search chicken coops

Wouldn't you be running the risk of opening the door with chickens inside the nest box laying?

That i suppose is unavoidable w/ that design, I have seen pics of that type of design though. Like Bruce I'm not really sure why you would necessarily want that design but there may be some advantage to it that I'm not considering. Anyway Pkgal21 .

 

[squadleader]

I think the others are right, unless it's a secondary door that would only be opened infrequently, I wouldn't do it.

If space is an issue, and I think it's best way anyway, have just a single community nesting box, you don't need several nesting boxes. Mine is rated for up to 20 hens and I have 12.

It's only 24 inches wide. Also do yourself a favor and build or buy, a roll out nesting box. I love mine, it came from HenGear.com. No straw to mess with, and your eggs will be very clean. You can mount it so the eggs come out the front in the coop, or through the wall outside the coop.

If you look closely, there's two hens in there.

I free range my chickens and I'm always worried my chickens are going to set up a secret nest and hide their eggs from me, so my goal is to make their nesting box as attractive to them as possible, so they don't set up their own hidden one.

Haha, I sound like Darth Vader, looking for the secret rebel base! (my 15 year old wanted to see Star Wars last weekend)

They want privacy, darkness, and quiet for their nesting box. I would be afraid a nesting box in a swinging door would make the nesting box less attractive to them.

 

[pkgal21]

This is kind of the look I'm going for. Unfortunately when you click the pin, that one isn't there. I can't find this type of coop in any search.

 

[TomZilla43]

This is kind of the look I'm going for. Unfortunately when you click the pin, that one isn't there. I can't find this type of coop in any search.

That's a pretty cool looking coop, but just me personally if I were building it I'd probably put the nesting boxes on that open side there to the left with the lift up lid for easy access. But depends on your taste I suppose, are you wanting to build it as a tractor coop like the one pictured?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The strain on the door from added weight will turn into a pain having to lift the door to latch shut everytime.

There is no need for it to be on the door, put on back of coop as suggested above.

 

[lazy gardener]

That design is a disaster in the making.

1. Extra weight of the boxes places more stress on the hinges.
2. Swinging those nest boxes out with birds in them = even more weight. And any hen who is in the box when it swings out is going to be totally freaked out. She's gonna be looking for a safer place to put her eggs.
3. When you close that door, you just might catch a chicken between the nest box and the coop floor.
4. You can't access the coop without moving the nest boxes.

Who ever designed that coop does not know chickens.

You can use a different wall, and still have an outside access door to your nest boxes. It can be a side car affair, where the nest boxes hang on the outside of the coop, or the boxes can be inside the footprint of the coop, with a door that opens at the back of the nests on the outside wall of the coop.

If space is an issue, and I think it's best way anyway, have just a single community nesting box, you don't need several nesting boxes. Mine is rated for up to 20 hens and I have 12.

It's only 24 inches wide. Also do yourself a favor and build or buy, a roll out nesting box. I love mine, it came from HenGear.com. No straw to mess with, and your eggs will be very clean. You can mount it so the eggs come out the front in the coop, or through the wall outside the coop.

Roll out nests are fine if you don't live in a climate where the temps are below freezing for half of the year. The only thing that keeps my eggs from freezing is a nice thick bed of hay in each nest box (and I also use the community nest option for at least part of the nest space) and having the nests contained inside the footprint of the coop.