post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

I was thinking something closer to tote size when I thought about how big they'd get and how they like to be sheltered when laying... We did get lots of work done I'm very proud and excited

Indoors we have a folding 4x4 dog kennel for chicken quarantine or hospital use. It needed a nestbox so we found a couple Homz stacking boxes from Walmart (which I haven't seen there lately) with a side entry hole already in it. These Homz come in two sizes and are great. eBay has these available right now for around $18. The small is perfect for bantams but I recommend the larger Homz for large fowl. My friend got several of these for her walk-in coop and stacked them on top of each other to make a row of nestboxes stacked 2 boxes high on a paver stone platform to keep them off the dirt floor. She said her large fowl, i.e., the 7-lb Cuckoo Marans and BCMs use them just fine to lay their eggs. She placed a plywood shelf across the top row of lids to hold down the lids and make poop-cleaning easier. The boxes are very portable to stack or move around and easy to hose down and air dry. I don't need them in my coop space but they are nice inside our indoor kennel. We keep the lid on because the Silkies don't jump up to roost on the lid the way larger breeds will. The box entrance has a nice smooth lip the Silkie can stand on before entering the box. The lip keeps all the straw from being kicked out and keeps the egg from rolling out. If we have invalid Silkies they choose to sleep inside the box for the night.

http://www.homzproducts.com/product/small-stacking-modular-storage-with-lids/
http://www.homzproducts.com/product/large-stacking-modular-storage/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/381015220172?rmvSB=true

 

[Sylvester017]

Umm you could try plastic storage drawers or bins

The problem when I researched every possible website and option is that storage drawers don't have a lower front for the bantams to enter, and the edges are pretty rough and thin for their little feet to stand on anyway when entering them. Believe me, I was exhausted trying every possible idea for nestboxes. Plastic dishpans work for large fowl but the sides are just a tad too deep for a Silkie to jump into the container. Cutting through the plastic to make an entrance into the box leaves too many uneven rough plastic splintering. I would love to use the Homz storage totes (post #15059) but they are just a few inches too tall to fit our coop's slanted-roof nestbox area.

 

[MeepBeep]

I use covered litter boxes in my coop, the bantams, standards and even a few guinea fowl have no issues using them...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Van-Ness-Extra-Giant-Enclosed-Cat-Pan-Cats/10315197

 

[cmccullough1390]

The problem when I researched every possible website and option is that storage drawers don't have a lower front for the bantams to enter, and the edges are pretty rough and thin for their little feet to stand on anyway when entering them.  Believe me, I was exhausted trying every possible idea for nestboxes.  Plastic dishpans work for large fowl but the sides are just a tad too deep for a Silkie to jump into the container.  Cutting through the plastic to make an entrance into the box leaves too many uneven rough plastic splintering.  I would love to use the Homz storage totes (post #15059) but they are just a few inches too tall to fit our coop's slanted-roof nestbox area.

You can cut an edge and smooth with heat

 

[cmccullough1390]

I use covered litter boxes in my coop, the bantams, standards and even a few guinea fowl have no issues using them...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Van-Ness-Extra-Giant-Enclosed-Cat-Pan-Cats/10315197

I like it thanks

 

[cmccullough1390]

Thanks everyone for the tips I'll look into my options and post what I go with

 

[Sylvester017]

You can cut an edge and smooth with heat

I thought about that too except the Homz boxes are a bit expensive for being ordinary storage stackers but I also have entertained the idea and may still slant cut the tops to fit the egg collection area in the coop. I'm just being cautious about doing anything without thinking it through or seeing what others have done to solve their situations before I go cutting or slicing things

. With my luck the cutting tool will slip and slice my finger instead!

 

[Sylvester017]

I use covered litter boxes in my coop, the bantams, standards and even a few guinea fowl have no issues using them...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Van-Ness-Extra-Giant-Enclosed-Cat-Pan-Cats/10315197

Nice setup! Do you find any one box being a favorite of the hens either on the floor or the 2nd tier?

 

[MeepBeep]

Nice setup!  Do you find any one box being a favorite of the hens either on the floor or the 2nd tier?

There is no single favorite, I find eggs in nearly every box every day and the box with the most eggs varies by day as well... Seems like they use whatever is available at the time, this is probably due to the fact that I have a few devoted broody birds at all times taking ownership of certain boxes forcing the birds to use others...

 

[magicstorm]

I love the design of the cat litter boxes.  Such a perfect entry opening for bantams.  I couldn't find any boxes less than 19-in long that would fit my space - darn it!

try the dollar stores for dish pan and just take a razor knife and cut a lower opening in one end