Show me your nest boxes! + some questions

[RobinGel]

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This one was a view of my old nest boxes in a currently inactive coop.

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Now I have a new coop which can be subdivided into two for brooding, incubating, or breeding purposes or can be left as a whole coop. These are the nest boxes for it.

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And these are the boxes in the main part of the coop. Sometimes the girls lay under the boxes rather than in. They always prefer the brooder boxes when available but currently that coop is for the guinea keets.


I have yet another building I have used as a coop, and I simply used old milk crates for the nest boxes, and the hens took to them immediately. Hens just want a place to feel safe, they don't discriminate based on looks.

Love your coop also!! If I were a chicken I'd love to move in!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Love your coop also!! If I were a chicken I'd love to move in!

Their coop is nicer than my house!! They live the good life that is for sure.

 

[3KillerBs]

We like outside access with a front drop down rather than a lid that lifts. The latter is apt to leak and to fall when we don't want it to.

Here's the nests from the Little Monitor Coop:

And here are the nests-in-progress in Neuchickenstein:

 

[Ryguy3684]

We made a separate room off the side of the coop. The lid has shocks to keep it open while collecting eggs.

 

[OurSufficientLife]

Here's a BUNCH of nests.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/show-us-your-nest-boxes-ingenous-design-post-it-here.41108/

Here's mine:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/nests.7427682/

This definitely looks like something Dan could build. And we only need 4-5 boxes. Thank you for sharing this!

 

[OurSufficientLife]

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I have a room at the front of my coop that I use for storage, a built-in brooder a.k.a Maternity Ward and the nest boxes.
I have since installed 4 divider panels in this box to make five nest areas. As many as 28 hens have used these 5 boxes with no issue.
I like the curtains. I don't think the hens care. The rooster sure doesn't!
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If you will be building exterior access boxes, I would make a solid, immobile pitched roof with about a 3-4" over hang and a panel that drops down in back like you see above. Having a roof that raises up leaves a pivot point along the wall where water can penetrate into the coop and get the nests wet.
I like this building design for bump out nests.

To keep my eggs from freezing in the winter, I use seedling heating mats. I laid three along the bottom of the above box and anchored them with thin strips of wood screwed to the bottom of the nest box, not through the mat. I plug them into a switch controlled receptacle and turn them on when I need them to be on. They could also be controlled with a thermo-cube but that would leave them on all night when no one is in there laying.
The mats are vinyl so can be easily cleaned if they become soiled.
I used to put chopped straw in the nest boxes but have found that a flake of baled wheat straw works wonderfully and it keeps the eggs much cleaner. As the straw breaks down, the chaff will stick to the bloom when it's drying. It's annoying to have to get all that off the eggs.

So much great info here - love the seedling heat mat idea. What temp do you set the mats on? Just above freezing temp? Also I had not even thought about straw sticking to the eggs! Good advice. I love the sunflower curtains. Great looking coop you have there.

 

[OurSufficientLife]

This is my current nest box, next year I am replacing the coop and I will replace it with a wooden one excesable from the outside of the run/coop.View attachment 2808297

I giggled when I saw this - they will literally lay anywhere! Love it.

 

[OurSufficientLife]

We have a tractor and in the top coop area we just did a bump out (from old nest boxes we found in the coop built in our property-we cleaned/sanded/painted before using). Basically it’s a rectangle that sticks out the back with a divider and my husband put a “roof” on it that opens up to collect eggs from outside. (I don’t have pics right now)

I would love a bump out, but I am a bit concerned during winter. I feel like in the dead of winter here the eggs would freeze. Thanks for sharing!

 

[OurSufficientLife]

View attachment 2808304
This one was a view of my old nest boxes in a currently inactive coop.

View attachment 2808305
Now I have a new coop which can be subdivided into two for brooding, incubating, or breeding purposes or can be left as a whole coop. These are the nest boxes for it.

View attachment 2808306
And these are the boxes in the main part of the coop. Sometimes the girls lay under the boxes rather than in. They always prefer the brooder boxes when available but currently that coop is for the guinea keets.


I have yet another building I have used as a coop, and I simply used old milk crates for the nest boxes, and the hens took to them immediately. Hens just want a place to feel safe, they don't discriminate based on looks.

Loving the rustic look of this. I am a sucker for rustic I think you are right about the hens - just make it safe and calm. I guess the looks are for us and not them!

 

[Chickassan]

Stacking bins, they were originally going to hold potatoes and onions.
Plans changed.