Free standing nest boxes? Any ideas??? Metal shed?

[ddschicks]

I am setting up a new chicken coop and run and I have a few issues. I have more chickens now than I used to, so I am making their cage double the size and putting in a shed, rather than a normal coop. The shed is one from home depot, and is a metal tool supply shed.

One thing I was wondering is if it would be too hot in Alabama for them to be in a shed like that. I was going to leave the door off since they will be totally enclosed in the cage around the shed. I would put straw in the floor in the winter for insulation so i think they would be warm enough, and i plan to put a roof over the rest of the open part of the cage. that way they would have access to shade other than just in the shed. would that work?

Also, since the shed is metal, I don't think there is a way for me to put up nest boxes. I was looking into ways to make them, and I saw some people had made nest boxes from old cabinets. I have some from a kitchen remodel so is there any way I could make those into nest boxes? maybe add legs so that they stand on their own?
Does anyone have ideas for free standing nest boxes or have their own design?

 

[PD-Riverman]

I am setting up a new chicken coop and run and I have a few issues. I have more chickens now than I used to, so I am making their cage double the size and putting in a shed, rather than a normal coop. The shed is one from home depot, and is a metal tool supply shed.

One thing I was wondering is if it would be too hot in Alabama for them to be in a shed like that. I was going to leave the door off since they will be totally enclosed in the cage around the shed. I would put straw in the floor in the winter for insulation so i think they would be warm enough, and i plan to put a roof over the rest of the open part of the cage. that way they would have access to shade other than just in the shed. would that work?

Also, since the shed is metal, I don't think there is a way for me to put up nest boxes. I was looking into ways to make them, and I saw some people had made nest boxes from old cabinets. I have some from a kitchen remodel so is there any way I could make those into nest boxes? maybe add legs so that they stand on their own?
Does anyone have ideas for free standing nest boxes or have their own design?

Nesting boxes can be added in the shed similar to if it was wood----probably just have to pre-drill some holes. I never put the nesting boxes inside my Coop----just my way. I have them under a shed and have about 30 like the bottom picture----they work great. You can dress up something similar if you want----I am about them working great more than them looking great.




If you will look above the nexting box in the pic above----I have a lot of them 5 gal bucket nesting boxes attacked to the side of the coops. I do secure about 1/3 of the bucket lid on the front to keep the hay(nesting box hay) in place.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I haven’t looked through these threads for a while, hopefully most of the pictures are still available. The only thing limiting you on how you do your nests is your imagination.

Nest boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/41108/show-us-your-nest-boxes-ingenous-design-post-it-here/220

Nest Boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-your-creative-nesting-boxes/80#post_12395882

Opa’s Rollaway Nest Box
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684

My main suggestion is to put the nests on the north side if you can, east isn’t horrible. The south and maybe even more so west sides will be the hottest. You don’t want the nests to become ovens. Try to avoid putting the roosts on the west side especially. The west gets hot latest.

In Alabama you really don’t have to worry about the cold, the heat is what will kill your chickens. Add as much ventilation to that shed as you can, just opening the door is probably not enough. Since hot air rises you want a lot of ventilation up high so the hot air can get out of there. In the winter any breezes will be over their heads with high ventilation. In summer make it as open as you can, high and low.

I have a shed made out of an old loafing shed. It has a metal roof and metal south and west sides. But it is wide open up at the top and the metal siding is pretty open at the bottom too, a distance above ground level. It just doesn’t get that hot in there like you’d expect, not even the southwest corner.