Feedback on little giant nesting boxes

[NDchickenlady]

Has anyone used the Littlegiant Nesting boxes? How are they?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have not used those but they should work fine. If you saw some of the things we use for nests those would look pretty tame. I like the overall dimensions. Those give you room so three hens can fit at a time if they decide to lay together. Mine often do.

Dimensions:
16.5"L x 15.88"W x 19.75"

That's not the way I built mine, but that is just personal preference. For example, I prefer a flat top instead of that sloped one. I use the tops of my nests as a droppings board as I have a juvenile roost directly over the nests.. When integrating my immature chicks often won't sleep on the main roosts with the adults. Since they can sleep on a flat roof on top of the nests that gives them a place to sleep that is not inside my nests. But lots of people really like a sloped roof to keep chickens form sleeping up there. As I said, personal preference.

I can't tell if that nest has a back or is the back open and relies on you attaching that to a wall to close it off? Does it only rely on those slits on the side for ventilation? In any case I'd be more comfortable with the nests mounted on a "cool" wall, one shaded from direct sun, to avoid them becoming an oven. You don't say where you are from so I don't know how much of an issue heat might be, but if it is pretty enclosed I'd be more concerned about that.

I can't tell how high that lip is, but it looks high enough to keep bedding and eggs in. The photo I saw showed the bedding a couple of inches above the opening which I would not do. Hens often scratch to rearrange bedding when they first get in to lay. If the bedding is above the opening lip they often scratch it out plus any fake eggs or real eggs that might be there. I think that photo is staged to look dramatic. The proportions of the hen's head look too big compared to the given dimensions of the nest so appearances are deceiving. I think the lip is plenty high enough. Here is a link to the photo and ad I was looking at. I assume it is the nest you are talking about.

https://www.statelinetack.com/item/little-giant-single-nesting-box/E009101/

Bottom line is that I don't see anything wrong with it, I just would not build a nest like that because of personal preferences. It should work for you.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

If you want more answers you should change the title to something like:

"Feedback on Littlegiant Nesting boxes".

 

[aart]

Size is probably fine, bigger than other prefab nests.
Bigger than my 14x14x16 which work fine.

Agrees with RR about the depth.

Only thing I've seen with these is the perch can be too small,
tho they have improved them from the round rod.
Have seen folks attach a piece of 2x4 on top of existing perch,
may or may not be necessary.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Has anyone used the Littlegiant Nesting boxes? How are they?

I use the stackable bins, work great easy cleaning.