That's it, I need NEST BOX PLANS

[Chick_a_dee]

I think my nest boxes are a bit small (16x11x11) and i want to move them anyway. UNFORTUNATELY for me mostly, I just don't get the nest boxes... I need plans! Pictures of the building process! What on earth do you use to connect your plywood together, blah blah blah.

HELP!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

What about recycling a different box or continaer. For all but a very large chicken I use tidycat litter contianers.

 

[Chicken Woman]

Milk crates work great

 

[Kitchenella]

I have a cardboard box sitting on the bottom of my coop. So far my one laying hen loves it.

Peggy

 

[SussexInSeattle]

I'm sorry that this isn't solid plans but when I made my 3 nest boxes, I bought one sheet of the cheapest plywood available, used loads of free scrap wood that was given to me at the hardware store and kind of eyeballed where I wanted the boxes to go, did some measurements and built them to fit the space.

I built mine right into the exposed studs in the barn wall so whatever the distance of wall studs are, that is how wide they came out. I figured they would have to hop in and then turn sideways and that is exactly how they lay. The floors did not come as far out from the wall as the stud spaces were wide sideways.

The way I got the plywood to butt up to the side pieces was with long, skinny pieces of scrap wood, it could be 1" X 1/2" by whatever length. I would nail say the floor piece to the long, narrow piece (almost similar to baseboards in your home where your floors meet your walls) and then nail that 'baseboard' to the wall piece.

Next I built little roofs that sloped fairly sharply downward so that when the chicken is in the box, it affords her some privacy because it hangs down similar to a house roof and since the nests are built right into the walls, that makes them feel safe as well since nothing can sneak up behind them. It also saved a lot on wood since the barn wall is the back of the little nest house.

Even though I built a good slope to the roofs, I still have chickens climb up there and poop occasionally so I tacked down roof paper to the tops so that it will protect the wood. You can avoid trouble with yours by sloping the roofs down at a sharper angle but I have a heavyset Brahma that I was worried about fitting through the opening under the roof overhang so I don't think I sloped mine any sharper than about 45 degrees. I thought that would be good enough but seems like chickens love to make a liar out of you at times.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Hubby used aluminum flashing for the slanted top - they just can't roost up there at all!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have both built boxes and milk crates and the chickens all seem to prefer the milk crates. Truthfully, they are tons easier to keep clean, so I'm all for it.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I recently bought wood crates with a 40% off coupon at Michaels. It does cost a bit more...but time is $$ and it's an instant coop. I do add a small board across the bottom of the front to help keep the hay in. I don't see a pic on their website...but I also bought a 3 shelf 12X12X36 inch bookshelf in a nice solid wood from them for $25. Again, I needed them fast...I couldn't find milk crates anywhere...and didn't have time to make them.

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[Buff Hooligans]

A lot of people do swear by milk crates.

Our one nextbox is just a credenza file drawer with a wooden lip on it mounted on the coop wall.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
Hubby used aluminum flashing for the slanted top - they just can't roost up there at all!

http://annzoid.com/images/forums/Chickens/coop/nest-boxes.jpg

VERY NICE. Aww what lucky chickens you have, mine have single pane shed windows LOL. I think I'm going to invest in some Jeldwen windows for next year though, replace one window at a time.

I really like the flashing idea, I have osb as my slanted roof right now and one of the chickens has managed to work out getting up them to sit in the window sill above it.

Do you reckon they'd be off kilter if I moved the nest boxes and roosts? I want to move the roosts to where the boxes currently are, and the boxes to where the roosts are on opposite walls so I can have my boxes higher up than ground level, as they eat their nests...and I think that if the nests weren't so readily available on the floor they'd be less likely to eat them.