nest box design and insulation question

You could use the nest box that you have. Attach it tightly to the wall and cut an access to the back of it through the wall from outside. That's what I did; see my BYC page.

 

That looks nice. If you are better with a spatula than a hammer, can I come over and eat?

Seriously, where are you located, at least climatewise? I'm not going to ask you to post personal information, but how cold it gets will have a bearing on your decisions, both on insulation and the nesting boxes. What many people think of as cold really is not that cold to chickens.

I made my nesting boxes so I have outside access and I never use that feature. It is just easier to go onto the coop. And chickens are basicallly ground dwelling birds. They can get under your nesting boxes so removing them really won't give them any more usable room. I would not move them for that reason.

If you put the nesting boxes so they have outside access, you create another potential entryway to your coop for predators. You can handle that with hasps and closures, but something to consider. These also can create more places for drafts to get in or rainwater to get into the nests. Design and building technique can handle that, but something else to consider. Nesting boxes outside the coop like that also can get colder so the eggs may freeze more readily, depending on your climate. If they are on the sunny side, they may get pretty hot in the summer too.

As you can probably tell, I personally would not move them just to give the chickens more room. I'd have to have a much more compelling reason than that.

I have not insulated mine, but I'd think the cardboard would work great as long as it stays dry.

 

Quote:I agree with Ridgerunner. If you want to have exterior boxes for YOUR convenience, that's one thing. But your nests are up high enough for the chickens to use the floor space under it. I have my boxes inside too. I egg collection time as a time to check the coop over, see if shavings need redistributed, added to, check the droppings board, etc. I like collecting inside. (Of course, this is my first year...ask me again this time next year!). And each hole you put in the side of your coop is another place to worry about weather entering (wind, snow, rain, etc). If you decide to make the exterior boxes, just keep these things in mind.

 

I don't really see what the point would be, honestly -- in a full-height coop like yours, wall mounted indoor nestboxes DON'T take away any useable space from the chickens, b/c the chickens can walk UNDER them already. If yours are a touch low or have stuff propping them up (hard for me to see in pic), raise them and reconfigure so the area underneath is totally clear.

I cannot see that you could possibly gain one iota by making a bump-out, just a buncha extra work, difficult leaks, and insulation problems

If you wanted to be able to collect eggs from outside the coop, you could do it with the boxes as they are *now*, just make an outside hatch.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat