Nesting Buckets pros and cons

[chickenmomma16]

Does anyone have experience using 5 gallon buckets for nesting boxes? Pros/cons?

Ran across this idea and thought in may work well for me and my girls. I have the opportunity to re-design a cattle trough gone chicken coop. Looking for ease of cleaning and cost effectiveness.
A problem I have in their current coop is their ply wood nesting boxes are too short and their tail feathers get frayed and bent on the tips. My backyard mix hens are all smaller than a Buff Orp. if that helps with size needed for nesting areas.

 

[AlienChick]

There are a lot of folks who use the 5-gal buckets as nest boxes. They seem to work well.
Of course, you can use your imagination and give them just about anything to nest in.
Old planters work great; plain old cardboard boxes are fine.
I just bought a house and the previous owners left behind an old bookcase.
I'm using it in my coop for nestboxes.

 

[Ceilismom]

I've got two that I use as portable nesting boxes. The only con that I see is since mine are not attached to anything (most people do fasten them to a wall or a flat board, I think), they will roll.

 

[chickenmomma16]

I was thinking of making a rack to set them in so they won't roll.

How do the hens fit in the buckets? Does their seem to be enough room? Anyone notice frayed tail feathers from rubbing on the top of the bucket.