Nest Boxes on door

[Rise722]

Has anyone mounted their nest boxes to a door? If so, I'd love to see pictures or an explanation of what they did.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm sure it's possible, but you'd need a very strongly-hung door to handle the weight without sagging.

 

[Rise722]

I seem to remember seeing a post somewhere on this site that had the boxes on the door...but have not been able to find it again.

 

[aart]

I seem to remember seeing a post somewhere on this site that had the boxes on the door...but have not been able to find it again.

I've seen a couple, hard to build sturdy enough.

 

[Geena]

Sounds convenient for collecting eggs, but might not work out so great if there's a hen still in there laying when you open the door.

 

[neo71665]

With heavy duty hinges and a door built for it I see no issues. The birds won't care where their boxes are mounted.

 

[Rise722]

I think it's safer to open the door into the other side of my chicken coop, instead of having the boxes mounted outside and opening the back and having the chicken fly out into the open. Just trying to do this safely, without having to go into the coop every time. Am thinking about holes through the wall to reach into the back of the boxes from the other side....

 

[3KillerBs]

I think it's safer to open the door into the other side of my chicken coop, instead of having the boxes mounted outside and opening the back and having the chicken fly out into the open. Just trying to do this safely, without having to go into the coop every time. Am thinking about holes through the wall to reach into the back of the boxes from the other side....

I've yet to have a bird try to get out when I open the nests, even though my drop-down opens 3 nests at once.

Some are unperturbed and just go about their business as I collect eggs, some get affronted and jump out back into the coop away from me, and some turn around to peck me and defend their nests.

 

[Krugerrand]

I seem to remember seeing a post somewhere on this site that had the boxes on the door...but have not been able to find it again.

May have been this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/thoughts-on-this-diy.1523341/

It linked to this coop design (which has some issues ie, no ventilation)
https://cdn.backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/04/cut-sheet.pdf

Here is a picture from the design:

 

[perkolator]

It can be done. Using a sheet of plywood to back the door's framework will help keep its shape over time and be less prone to warping and sagging; you'll also need very strong framework on the coop itself to mount the door to. For some designs it may even make sense to not use a regular door hinges, but instead use something like gate hinges that can be adjusted if something gets cockeyed over time.

When I designed my coop I considered the boxes attached to the door, but instead went with internal and a flip-down access door. The main issue I saw was in the event of an obstruction, such as deep bedding wanting to spill out when the door is opened, that someone not myself wouldn't take the time to clear it for easy closing.....such as my kids who don't pay enough attention to close a refrigerator door. The pictured coop above addresses that with the plywood baffle that holds back bedding. The mentioned corner braces are very important too, or things will be cockeyed...like my shed that has no bracing and the door jamb is slightly out of square