Will this work as a nesting box? If so, how?

[goldeneggtees]

Hi, I found this cabinet at a garage sale and thought it may make a good nesting box. What are your thoughts? Do I need to make it higher off the ground? Turn in sideways? What do I use as nesting material?Any advice will be appreciated, my pullets are 16 weeks old and may be getting ready to lay soon.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Hi. Sideways and maybe put some sort of lip on it to keep the bedding from being pushed out.

That's what we did with something similar.

 

[Shannon's Chix]

Personally I would turn it sideways and mount it to the wall, off the ground but lower than the roosts. Nail a piece of wood across the bottom to hold the bedding in when they scratch and turn. What you have in the pic will do fine for bedding, I think discriminating chickens prefer hay...

 

[goldeneggtees]

Do you think it should be off the ground a little?
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[gocrow77]

That fantastic! I think if you turn it on it's side and put a little bit of trim/lip on it it for keeping nesting material in it will be great. Congrats on a wonderful find!

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

It looks perfect - you just need to put a little board across the fronts to keep your shavings in and the eggs from falling out.

What are the measurements? If the inside holes are at least 11-12" tall, then you can lay it on its side and hang it up in your coop - if they're shorter than that, you might want to leave it standing tall (if you have standard hens and not banties). You'll probably want to add a little roosting pole at the front.

At 16 weeks, your hens should be pretty close to laying, so you're right to get started on their nestboxes. When the boxes are done, fill with shavings and add a golfball or two to each nest - it encourages them to lay where you want them to.

Here's what we did with a cabinet (look at the right side to compare with yours). The slanted roof was added to keep the chickens from roosting and pooping all over the top of the nestboxes.

 

[2txmedics]

hey thats almost like the find I found on the side of the road!!!!! mine has a little ledge so the eggs wont roll out, I just need to clean it up and install it side ways....