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

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks, Kikiriki for the ongoing comments. I looked up your pics, and I have to say that I am totally envious of all the shade that you have. We started from bare/open desert 10 years ago (zero trees, etc). It is very difficult to grow trees fast here, even though I have planted quite a few desert-arid-tolerant trees.

I thought your wire design at the bottom of your nest boxes a great idea, given your sandy surround. We had sugar sand in coastal GA, and it would get everywhere. My Golden Seabrights inGA lived totally free-range, coming back to roost high in our barn, and their nest boxes were within a high-walled "horse-feed stall" ( large box stall with four foot front wall, with vertical pipe "windows"). We never had a creature invade the feed stall, yet big snakes did try for the chix, mainly while the chickens were roosting. Here, the "wire sand sieve" at the bottom of the nest box would not likely work, because of coyotes, and 'prying eyes' from other varmints, including rattlesnakes. Dunno though, as I have not tried it.

Yellowchicks: That is an AMAZING nest box! FIVE STARS! I'm not sure every chick would use it, but this is wonderful engineering. You don't say (type?), but the entire cantilevered nest box has to be "pitched"/angled from the outside of the coop? Does the lack of "level nesting" upset some hens, and they refuse to lay there?

My prospective builder may cringe at the engineering involved.

I think ME am the Bird Brain here.

Very cool nest box.

 

[yellowchicks]

Yellowchicks: That is an AMAZING nest box! FIVE STARS! I'm not sure every chick would use it, but this is wonderful engineering. You don't say (type?), but the entire cantilevered nest box has to be "pitched"/angled from the outside of the coop? Does the lack of "level nesting" upset some hens, and they refuse to lay there?

My prospective builder may cringe at the engineering involved.

I think ME am the Bird Brain here.

Very cool nest box.

There is no problem with my girls laying in the roll away nest box on top of the golf mat.The nest box was built with a level bottom sitting on two 2x4 that are part of the coop's frame. The trick is the removable ramps to create the internal slope and an insulated bottom. I figure if the chickens have problem with the sloping floor or the slope is not steep enough, it is much easier to remove or adjust the ramps. But they were fine with it since day one. There are more details about this nest box design on My Coop page.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks, yellowchicks for the further comments about your nest box. Love your coop. Very well thought out. Also, very nice looking.

Also read Opa's original design thread for this type of nest box. I very much like how you made your ramps removable. Great idea. You can re-think the angles, etc, without rebuilding the entire nest box design. Obviously, the "exterior bump-out" of the box (depth) of the entire box has to be taken into consideration... for an additional 6-8" for the "egg chute". You are making me re-think going to front-opening-door design, as apposed to a top-opening nest box. Because of our many varmints, I would feel safer with a top-open design. Do you think this would also work O.K. with a top-opening nest box? Granted, not nearly as handy for the "egg collector".

 

[PaulRaye]

I'll tell people I made my nesting boxes open from the side so the kids could get the eggs but the truth is I just figured it would be easier to weather prof it if I didn't have that hinge on the top.

 

[Kikiriki]

Thanks, Kikiriki for the ongoing comments.  I looked up your pics, and I have to say that I am totally envious of all the shade that you have.  We started from bare/open desert 10 years ago (zero trees, etc).  It is very difficult to grow trees fast here, even though I have planted quite a few desert-arid-tolerant trees.  

I thought your wire design at the bottom of your nest boxes a great idea, given your sandy surround.  We had sugar sand in coastal GA, and it would get everywhere. My Golden Seabrights inGA lived totally free-range, coming back to roost high in our barn, and their nest boxes were within a high-walled "horse-feed stall" ( large box stall with four foot front wall, with vertical pipe "windows").  We never had a creature invade the feed stall, yet big snakes did try for the chix, mainly while the chickens were roosting.   Here, the "wire sand sieve" at the bottom of the nest box would not likely work, because of coyotes, and 'prying eyes' from other varmints, including rattlesnakes. Dunno though, as I have not tried it.

Yellowchicks:  That is an AMAZING nest box!  FIVE STARS!   I'm not sure every chick would use it, but this is wonderful engineering. You don't say (type?), but the entire cantilevered nest box has to be "pitched"/angled from the outside of the coop?   Does the lack of "level nesting" upset some hens, and they refuse to lay there?   

My prospective builder may cringe at the engineering involved.

I think ME am the Bird Brain here.  

Very cool nest box.

A double layer of wire separated by a few inches would prevent predators being able to reach in. But, I agree 100% that yellowchicks has the best nest box! Wow!

Believe it or not, on my slightly less than 1/4 acre, I have had to cut down a large cedar tree, a Brazilian pepper (horrible invasive) that was the size of a small oak, 5 full grown pine trees, 4 very tall palm trees, and I lost 2 orange trees (1extended drought, 1 flood). All that shade makes half of my yard useless for gardening. All the big trees were a hazard to the house: all very close posing a threat during high winds, from falling branches all the time, and roots undermining the foundation...
I still have an oak and a pine and several palms that need to go when finances allow. The yard still has over 30 trees! Only a handful are fruit trees I have planted in spots where they will not be a problem.