Show us your nest boxes! Ingenous design post it here!

[raizin]

I am new to the chicken thing. Have 36 unsexed birds right now. They are five weeks old. I have been reading and looking at nestboxes for the last month. I am interested in communal boxes. I will eventually have 25 hens using the box. Can I use one 2 feet by 4 foot box for this many hens or do I need two? I want to cut small holes in wall and mount the boxes on the other side of the wall. I have a storage room in the back part of my chicken coop.
thanks

 

[redhead83402]

here are our nest boxes ~

And here are the collection doors ~

The coop isn't painted yet, but hubby is attaching the wheel mechanism right now, so I will have to do it tomorrow.
~Red

 

[Anny]

You guys are all so creative with your coops.

I was thinking about using a cat litter box (the type with the lock on lids) I work at an animal shelter and we are often donated those and they are always to large to fit in most of our cat cages with out taking up the whole cage so the shelter has a HUGE storage area FULL of those. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me taking some of them off of their hands.


Does anyone else use litter boxes? Do they like them? are they to big?

 

[gumpsgirl]

What a wonderful thread!!! The nesting boxes are all so ingenious!

 

[Wildsky]

 

[Anny]

I love the look that chicken is giving you in this picture. Classic.

 

[TexasMochi]

Wow those are all great. This makes me feel much more confident about nests as I was convinced I had to make "official" nest boxes.

 

[dangerouschicken]

I was wondering about this as I was setting up my nesting boxes, also. My dad and I were gonna use this really heavy bookshelf all retro fitted for nesting, but I just "chickened out"

It was too much work. I opted with milk crates on the floor of the coop, but I'll mount them to the wall eventually.

Cool thread!

 

[katemary63]

I have 4 chickens that have the run of my horse barn. I have a metal 4 over 4 premade nestbox thingie for them in the corner. They lay all thier eggs under the tarp that covers the giant pile of bulk shaving I use for stall bedding. Or they will jump into a bin full of hay I keep by the rabbit cages and lay there. They lay just about anywhere and never use the "chicken nest boxes" I have provided. Goofy chickens!

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
OUR milk crates are flat on the floor of the coop and 1/2 filled with pine shavings , TRUST me , they all want the deep black milk crates instead of the few shallow red ones . LOL