Outdoor Nesting Boxes?

[Hermit]

Hi, all!

I vaguely remember my grandfather having various milk crates, wood boxes, etc, outside of his coop for chickens who decided they want to lay, but aren't interested in going back into the coop, and to give them places to plop down for a bit. He also had several ducks, but they generally ignored the boxes & bins.
Now that I'm getting back into chickens, I'm wondering... Would it be a good idea to have external nesting boxes, aside from the internal coop-boxes?

 

[Judy]

The only problem would be predators. Some hens prefer more hidden or protected spots, but some just want to be off by themselves. Also, if one goes broody in a nest like that, and you want the chicks, it could be lots simpler to move and protect the nest for setting.