Pop-out nest boxes should open from the top,..or side?

[aart]

Thanks aart for prioritizing the height of nest boxes. Everything I build is sturdy (unfortunately, that also means more bucks..), having dealt with various varmints ("vvv"?) in several states.

The local "builder guy" who was here yesterday to view my project deals with ambitious foxes, but he had no ideas for building external nest boxes. He has a commercial steel nest box INSIDE his "chicken wagon"...a hefty wheeled coop that he moves via large tractor around his pecan farm. We have no foxes. He has no coyotes.

Should I give up the nifty idea of "outside" nest boxes? Still seems like a good idea to me.

If you think you'll have coyotes trying to chew into a heavy wooden outside nest boxes......you might start thinking about hot wire/fence around your coop and run.
If it would attempt to chew into the nest box, who's to say it wouldn't try to chew into the coop itself?

 

[Kikiriki]

Thanks....more,....aart, for your ongoing comments about the "bedding" on the poop boards. And your simple-but-clever leveling board. Very useful comment on the depth of the sand/PDZ.  I can see where the chix might have a lot of fun performing dust baths (I smile, as I type this) in litter that is too deep.  Chicken Shangri-La?!  A shallow depth would definitely allow the moisture to escape more readily (although we rarely have a problem here with humidity, as levels are under 20%, until Monsoon Season).   Stupid question:  Would clumping cat littler work?  Too pricey, I imagine.   

Kikiriki...Thanks for another vote for top-opening nest boxes.  When we lived in coastal GA (prior to NM), we had some interesting adventures with rat snakes, vs banty chickens.  I am not afraid of snakes, but it would be a surprise to drop the nest box door and be face to face with a four-foot+ rat snake.  We had lots of these in in GA.  Often quite pretty snakes, that were experts at "sniffing out"  small birds.  In our present location, we often have Western Diamondbacks.  We have only seen one rat snake in 9 years in NM.  A small rattlesnake (still very lethal) can get through pretty small openings, and "part of the why" I also want 1/2" x 1" wire on the run.   Not, what I wish to face, as I open the nest box door.  I might drop my drawers.       Your idea of ventilation in one end of the box (a community box?) is a GREAT idea in a hot climate, as I am also concerned about how hot the east-facing nest boxes may become once temps hit triple digit.  I would have to use something heavier than hardware cloth, as the external-to-coop boxes could be a "peep & chew hole" for our ambitious coyote population.

Any advice on how high the base (from outside of coop) of the nest boxes should be.  I wanted to try around 18" for the base, from ground level, to make more of "a hill climb inside" for roosts.  Unfortunately, 18" is great coyote/dog level.  

I hung a super thin sheer "curtain" and planted an Areca Palm outside the nest box. It also faces east and it did get very hot in the mornings, even though the whole think is well beneath a dense tree. The Palm did a great job because it allowed a breeze.

 

[WCHomestead]

We actually have both! We have two top opening boxes and then a third that is under one of the top opening boxes and it is a front opening only because it is under the other box. For whatever reason, though, they don't use the lower box at all. So, it might be easier to get eggs out of the front opening one, but I haven't had to try it! Crazy chickens! We will be modifying the bottom one to have a roof like the tops ones, but it will still be a front opening box.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks, for more input Y'all. Fortunately, and unfortunately, my Cheekin' Palace is still in the planning stages. I am having problems finding builders who can come up with a price for the project. This weekend, my "first-choice guy" is s'posed to have an actual TOTAL for my plans. In the time between my last posts, I have been told by the County that I must have a building permit for the coop/run, and I still only have the approval of one (of three) development Architectural Committee members. Most builders aren't interested because it the project isn't large enough to bite on, even though my own estimates (and a couple quotes for subbing this out myself) will likely push my chicken pen/coop beyond 6,000 bucks (!). Pretty discouraging, but I am also darn stubborn.

So,...I still appreciate the further input on the nest boxes, or other aspects of the coop. If "Builder One" comes through with an affordable plan, he will be very flexible as I have used him in the past, for a couple major projects. He's a nice guy. (I am still begging.)

Kikiriki,...I think I will definitely have to find some way to shade the east-facing nest boxes, if the project ever becomes a reality. Most plants don't grow fast in the arid desert, so this may take some ingenuity. The (present) Mexican Redbud "shrub" (actually a small tree) will help give a little shade from the south, but not from due east (still a LOT of heat). I'm still hoping to shade the boxes, someway,... or have KFC?

WCHomestead,...it's Great, that you tried two different nest box ideas, and at different heights. "Applications in Action". No...these 'stupid cheekins' 'Don't read the book'. Chicken do what THEY want? Very clever that you invented your own "test".

 

[Kikiriki]

Thanks, for more input Y'all.  Fortunately, and unfortunately, my Cheekin' Palace is still in the planning stages.  I am having problems finding builders who can come up with a price for the project.  This weekend, my "first-choice guy" is s'posed to have an actual TOTAL for my plans. In the time between my last posts, I have been told by the County that I must have a building permit for the coop/run, and I still only have the approval of one (of three) development Architectural Committee members.  Most builders aren't interested because it the project isn't large enough to bite on, even though my own estimates (and a couple quotes for subbing this out myself) will likely push my chicken pen/coop beyond 6,000 bucks (!).  Pretty discouraging, but I am also darn stubborn. 

So,...I still appreciate the further input on the nest boxes, or other aspects of the coop. If "Builder One" comes through with an affordable plan, he will be very flexible as I have used him in the past, for a couple major projects.  He's a nice guy. (I am still begging.)

Kikiriki,...I think I will definitely have to find some way to shade the east-facing nest boxes, if the project ever becomes a reality.  Most plants don't grow fast in the arid desert, so this may take some ingenuity. The (present) Mexican Redbud "shrub" (actually a small tree) will help give a little shade from the south, but not from due east (still a LOT of heat).  I'm still hoping to shade the boxes, someway,... or have KFC?  

WCHomestead,...it's Great, that you tried two different nest box ideas, and at different heights. "Applications in Action".   No...these 'stupid cheekins'   'Don't read the book'.  Chicken do what THEY want?   Very clever  that you invented your own "test". 

Have you seen self watering, wicking containers? You could make one out of concrete for better insulation than a plastic pot. They do not have a drain hole in the bottom. The best project I saw is on YouTube, a channel called "Rob Bob". He used drainage pipe covered in the "sock". Join the ends together to make a loop after cutting it to a length that covers the bottom of the container. Use zip ties to secure the sock over the joint and hold the joint together. Use a piece of PVC pipe that is long enough to reach from the tube to a about a foot above the top of the container. Notch the pipe in a V at one end. Make a hole in the drain tube for the notched end of the pipe. (He secures his pipe, but I never have and it doesn't move.) Put a layer of sand, about 3 inches over the top of the tube. Put a couple of inches of hay or straw over the sand. Add a nice soil, compost rich, for six or more inches, then add your plant with soil. Add a couple of drain holes about 6-8 inches up from the bottom. Put at least a couple of inches of mulch or compost on top around the plant. Water it in as normal. A couple of days later, add water via the PVC pipe. You may need to top water until the roots establish.

I use these for my garden plants and they are awesome! I used plastic totes for some, but they get UV damage quickly. You can use decorative planters, but if they have a bottom drain hole you must seal it. Dark colored pots would make the soil too hot, which is why I would get concrete.

For successful desert gardening, look on YouTube for "growing your greens".

I'll see if I can get you some links...

 

[Kikiriki]

YouTube links:

There are some very nice commercial wicking pots, but they tend to be very expensive.

Look up "earth box" which is a brand name.

"Self watering" is also a good search term, as is "wicking container"

 

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks, Kikiriki for the tips.

As I DO need to shade the hot/eastern nest boxes, I scurried off to YouTube. Didn't even wait for your additional links (thanks for those, as well). The RobBob type of tub/planter looks like a good idea. A drain field, or French Drain, in-a-box. I would have to come up with very large tubs, half-barrels, whatever as a small-volume "pot" would not work in our arid clime. I agree that using black would tend to cook plant roots, and might make the soil go sour. At present, I use TerraSorb in large planters to reduce evaporation & save water. The "wicking tubs" do look like they would work.

Above-ground planters would work for me, as the coop area is rocky, super-compacted from the original (barn) builder. Our required Compaction Tests for the barn were well above the basic requirements for construction. I do plan to put any/all remaining plantings above ground level at the coop and run (run will also have a buried heavy-wire apron along the outside). An above-ground planter system would also give any nest box shading a much-needed "boost" so to speak (the base of the tubs/etc would add some shade on its own). If I can "back-off" the planters from the east/front of the coop (loads of room, but on a dastardly sidehill), I could also add two electric wires for coyotes, if I had to. Without wires, the rotten coyotes would likely take an opportunity to slink between the planters and the nest box, offering them a "hidden corridor"?

 

[Kikiriki]

Yes, foliage is awesome, but it does provide a hiding place for predators, too.

Personally, I would put my money into a stockade fence for the yard and build the coop myself. This is just how our yard evolved and the fence is a big bonus.

You can check out my pictures if you click my profile. I do wish it was prettier, but All I could afford to pay for was the wire. Everything else was used/leftover bits I had saved. The only thing I really hate is that I didn't slope the roof enough. I tried, but it just came out wrong . I did have have to add poultry net over the run and wish I had planned for it. (Part of that area was supposed to be my garden... Too many problems, though, so it got added to the chicken run)

So glad you liked the planter idea, though! It really works and it conserves water really well. They have made it through a drought and a flood.
I have earthworms living in mine year round because it is such a good environment. I have Rosemary, mustard (re seeds itself), Georgia collards, parsley, Thai basil, and onions that are all over a year old. I had sweet potatoes that kicked butt! The chickens can eat the leaves of all of those, too.

I have regular potatoes going now, and just harvested four red potatoes without killing the plant...just plucked them out of the ground! I keep those away from the chickens because those leaves are toxic.

 

[yellowchicks]

We decided on a front dropping door design for our roll-away nest box so it is easier to retrieve the eggs without have to keep holding up the lid.

It also allowed us to seal the nest box roof to prevent water seepage, and collecting eggs from a corner. There is only one hook to secure the door.

To clean the nest box, I just need to shake out the golf mats. Designing and constructing this nest box took awhile, but retrieving eggs and cleaning it is very easy.

 

[Kikiriki]

That is one awesome nest box!