Tell me about your nesting boxes!

[shelleyb1969]

I'm looking for a few ideas for nesting boxes. I've got 7 pullets that should start laying within a month or so, so i need to start getting ready. Please tell me about your homemade nest boxes, no matter how they were made or what they're made of. Share your inventions with me!

 

[Blue_Myst]

I don't have pictures of mine, but check out the 'Coop Designs', you'll find more pictures of nest boxes than need!

There are many different types you can use, depending on your coop setup. I've seen people use just use old milk crates, five gallon buckets with the lid sawed in half, anything works!

 

[Hecate]

Don't have a pic, but we use a silverware drawer out of some cabinets we were getting rid of. It's about 5" deep with plenty of room side to side.

 

[sandypaws]

dog houses work well....

 

[bigredfeather]

Here's mine.

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[digitS']

Those are some fine nest boxes and interesting pictures (esp. the little girl desperately trying to get out of the coop

)!

Shelleyb, a picture of mine wouldn't win any Oscars. It is a cardboard box.

It sits on a shelf 18 inches above the floor and there's a small ladder. The box is inside it's own wire cage and the chickens cannot get on it or behind it. The open door is partly shielded by a curtain.

I've found that a cardboard box is awfully easy to keep clean - just take it out and throw it away. A replacement is usually quickly found.

The current box is 17"D x 22"W x 12"H. I like them large like that. There is plenty of room in there for 2 hens in their shredded-paper nests. They don't even really touch and with only 4 hens, there's usually a no waiting policy.

The hens seem to like it. I've had no eggs layed elsewhere since they learned that the nest was open for business in November. And, there have been no broken eggs.

Steve
edited to correct spelling

 

[selinagil]

I still need a ramp for mine but it's still pretty awesome!!!! I love that I don't have to get chicken poop on my shoes to collect eggs.

Inside View

Outside View

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

I use milk crates. I first used them upright with the opening on top, but the chickens would roost on the edges at night and make them yucky, so I changed to the opening on the front. I secured a board about 5"x 13" to the front bottom lip with wire ties (drilled a couple of holes), and that helps keep the straw and wood shavings inside. I stacked two of them together to make better use of space, wired tied them together, and wire tied a board on top to block the holes on top in case a chicken sits on top at night. I also put a piece of cardboard in the bottom of each crate to block the bottom holes. The chickens like them very well, and my eggs are 200% cleaner now. I don't have a ladder to the top one, but they have no trouble hopping up there. I did set a couple of bricks on top to help with stability.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

My 3 girls share a small plastic dog house filled with pine shavings. It isn't even in their coop, it's outside in the run.

Betty laying with two Millie Fleur d'Uccles' eggs underneath her.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

My husband made ours out of some old cabinets. The right side has two boxes for laying and the left side is storage - holds a 50 lb. bag of feed. There's also a small amount of storage above the two nestboxes. Another item you can use is a covered cat litter box (seen in corner) or a small plastic pet kennel.