Is this a crazy idea for external nest box

[NNYchick]

i have an extra large rubber maid tote, what I was thinking is to have my husband use deck screws to attach it to the side of the coop like an exterior community nest box. It would have to have a large opening in the coop wall for cleaning and collecting eggs. Maybe place cinder blocks underneath to support it. Would this work, any potential issues I’m not thinking of?

 

[Spartan22]

Those totes will only last so long having it outside expose to the elements, they get brittle and start cracking and falling apart right where the tension are (attached parts, screwed in areas). So if you decided to use similar products, make sure they’re the heavy duty ones.

 

[ChickNanny13]

The tote would be outside the coop wall with a cut out a section to fit the tote through, making it removable from the inside for cleaning? It'll be lower to ground level being supported by cinder blocks (the section hanging outside)?

2x Spartan22

It should work depending on how many hens you have and if you don't mind bending. How many hens do you have? I've read you can figure 4 hens to one nest box.

I only have 4 hens & use a huge plastic dog house on a stand DH made for it. Works for me since I needed an airy Chicken House (coop/run) due to our weather.

1st pic is the closed off nest box, Orpingtons are 18wks - Current set of pullets
2nd pic is of the 5 Blue Wyandottes that I have couple years back. I had another nest box set up under the dog house but they all preferred the dog house. I had another set of 4BOs after them, they too all preferred the dog house so I gave up on the lower nest.

 

[NNYchick]

Those totes will only last so long having it outside expose to the elements, they get brittle and start cracking and falling apart right where the tension are (attached parts, screwed in areas). So if you decided to use similar products, make sure they’re the heavy duty ones.

I did not think of the plastic deteriorating in the cold weather. Glad I asked before I had my husband cut into the wall. I want external nest boxes but don’t really need them.

The tote would be outside the coop wall with a cut out a section to fit the tote through, making it removable from the inside for cleaning? It'll be lower to ground level being supported by cinder blocks (the section hanging outside)?

2x Spartan22

It should work depending on how many hens you have and if you don't mind bending. How many hens do you have? I've read you can figure 4 hens to one nest box.

I only have 4 hens & use a huge plastic dog house on a stand DH made for it. Works for me since I needed an airy Chicken House (coop/run) due to our weather.

1st pic is the closed off nest box, Orpingtons are 18wks - Current set of pullets
2nd pic is of the 5 Blue Wyandottes that I have couple years back. I had another nest box set up under the dog house but they all preferred the dog house. I had another set of 4BOs after them, they too all preferred the dog house so I gave up on the lower nest.

View attachment 1506290 View attachment 1506291

I currently have and only plan to have Silkies, so nest box would have to be really low. 1 Broody hen, 3 pullets and 18 grow outs that aren’t old enough to sex yet. My plan is for 10 hens. My set up is a 8x8 coop area attached to a 16x8 mostly enclosed completely covered run and we are adding 4x8 to the other end to use for nest/brooding. I have room for my current nest box set up in there but I thought an external box would save floor space. Maybe I’ll see how it goes and next spring when I’m in hatching season I can reassess the external box. This is my current set up minus the 4x8 section we are starting that this week in the right end of the run.

 

[aart]

I did not think of the plastic deteriorating in the cold weather

Would be hard to keep them water tight too.....especially in winter.
In your climate, keep the nests inside the coop to reduce the chance of frozen eggs.