Nest Boxes

[Chick_a_dee]

My girls are 16 weeks old now, and my mum caught one of them doing a funny dance yesterday, so we're thinking they'll start laying fairly soon. Now to make nest boxes! We had some rough pine 1x12x8 hanging around, but I'm leary about using it because it's like mill reject pine, meaning I could cut into it, and it could just randomly fall apart.

Any ideas for nest boxes? I wanted to use milk crates, but I don't know where I'd get them.

 

[BeardedChick]

The back, sides, bottom, and top of mine were made of recycled wood crates and a couple of 2x4's for support. The crate panels were super-easy to work with. I got them from an ISP that receives some of their big equipment in wood crates.

 

[TaLani]

Some people have used 5 gallon buckets w/ a board in front of them so the shavings or straw stays in. I noticed in your signature line that you have a cat...other people have used a large sized Tidy Cat box (yellow colored box) & cut out an opening & used that as a nest box - wld be easily removed for cleaning...just some thoughts anyway. I bought a 5 nest metal one from Cutler Supply.

 

[sara]

I see you have a cat according to your signature line, if so, and you get litter in a plastic tub they make great nest boxes. Cut a whole in the lid stuff straw or shavings in, and your set

 

[Maryallison77]

I used milk crates and had the same problem....where to find them. I go to the local flea markets and I see all the people selling and they have all the stuff for sale in the milk crates. SO I finally just asked a guy if I could buy 4 of his crates. And he sold me 4 of them!

 

[ChickenToes]

For whatever reason, my husband had a bunch of 5 gallon buckets laying around, so I used them for nesting boxes. The hens love them, but they tend to favor the yellow one (the rest are white).

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

5 gallon buckets.
Easy to clean.
Easy to find.
Darker ones are best, but if they are all white, then the girls wont mind.
Build a frame that will hold the buckets side by side and have a board to the front that will keep hay/whatever from being scratched out.

 

[Sylvie]

I drove around on free trash pick up day and got lots of used free wood. I made the nest boxes from wood that I don't really know what it was used for or where it's been. I painted it with several coats of Kilz exterior paint which acts as a barrier from the used wood. I used screws and it's holding together nicely. I am only mentioning this in case you decide to use your bargain wood after all.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Funny dance huh ? you need to make sure these are not roosters . Funny dances are the mating call roosters do towards hens . LOL

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
Funny dance huh ? you need to make sure these are not roosters . Funny dances are the mating call roosters do towards hens . LOL

lmfao deffo not roosters, at 16 weeks i'd expect them to be a bit more.... along in the rooster department, some have bigger combs and wattles than others, but only by a little, no one has crowed, and everyone has the same feathers, but we're getting on now, and they are "hybrids," aka mutts.