Nest Box Dimensions

[bcorps]

I'm at the point where I'm building the nest box for my 12-chicken coop.

I've included a wireframe to help me ask my questions.

Is it a good idea to have the box tall enough for the hen to stand up? At the "back" of the box, it's about 17 inches high, and almost 24 inches at the front. Of course, the opening to the front is only 14 inches tall (to facilitate the deep litter method). Front to back, it's about 15 inches deep. Each box is a little over 12 inches wide. The width is the one dimension I can't modify much, as my coop uprights are about 46 inches on center. The nest box total width is 39-7/8", divided up equally (in this case by three).

I have also considered keeping the height the same, and raising the floor by putting an inch of insulation on the floor (of the nest box only, not the coop) and putting a second floor on top of that. Just thinking out loud. I figure if ANY area of a coop would benefit from insulation, it would be the nest box floor.

The door is the short back wall of the nest box. It hinges down to the outside.

Any other comments are also welcome.

 

[DobieLover]

I'm at the point where I'm building the nest box for my 12-chicken coop.

I've included a wireframe to help me ask my questions.

Is it a good idea to have the box tall enough for the hen to stand up? At the "back" of the box, it's about 17 inches high, and almost 24 inches at the front. Of course, the opening to the front is only 14 inches tall (to facilitate the deep litter method. Front to back, it's about 15 inches deep. Each box is a little over 12 inches wide. The width is the one dimension I can't modify much, as my coop uprights are about 46 inches on center. The nest box total width is 39-7/8", divided up equally (in this case by three).

I have also considered keeping the height the same, and raising the floor by putting an inch of insulation on the floor (of the nest box only, not the coop) and putting a second floor on top of that. Just thinking out loud. I figure if ANY area of a coop would benefit from insulation, it would be the nest box floor.

The door is the short back wall of the nest box. It hinges down to the outside.

Any other comments are also welcome.View attachment 2517040

Looks good. Yes, the hen stands up just before the package is delivered.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The egg and the poop both come out of the same opening but they take different pathways to get there. To keep the egg clean when it is laid, a bit of the egg pathway tubing extends out of the vent to seal off the poop tubing. Maybe 1/2" or less. So the hen raises up enough to keep that exposed tubing clean so she doesn't take bedding or trash back inside her when she retracts it. It's not like she is standing on tiptoe stretching for the sky, but they do need a little room to raise up. They also walk when getting into the nest and out of the nest, enough room to do that should be enough for her to raise up and lay the egg.

A 12" x 15" is plenty big enough for a hen to lay an egg. Mine are 16" x 16" and I often see three hens in there together laying. The general recommendation is a minimum of 12" wide x 12" deep x 12" high. I've had hens lay in smaller nests without problems. It's when they hatch in much smaller nests that I have had problems. The hens aren't generally as picky about exact dimensions as we are. I understand making them to fit your support spacing. The main reason my nests are 16" wide is to fit my stud spacing, that made framing mine up easier.

I don't see any problem with the nest being that high inside. I don't quite follow what your opening to allow a hen to get in will look like. I've had full sized hens use a nest where the opening was 8" wide and only 6" tall but I prefer the height on the opening to be more like 8". To me it just feels better, the chickens didn't seem to mind. I put a lip across the bottom maybe 4" to 5" high to hold the bedding in. They often scratch around rearranging the bedding before they lay and can scratch bedding, fake eggs, and real eggs out if you don't have a lip.

It looks like you are hanging that outside of your coop. In Indiana you will see some freezing weather so a little insulation might help keep the eggs from freezing. But your summers get hot too. If the nests are exposed on the south or west side you might want to keep them from becoming ovens. That's where a little extra height might come in handy more than them needing it to stand up to lay. Since hot air rises extra height will help with that, especially if you have a vent on top, maybe venting into the coop to protect from rain.

Speaking of rain. With the slope of your nest top you will have water running over you as you collect eggs. A common problem with nests hung outside is that they can leak if the top is hinged. I don't have nests like that but those seem to be the two biggest complaints I see on here. I don't have a great solution but I'd consider having enough overhang off the front of the nests to keep water out and hinging the front instead of the top so you can caulk and seal the top against leaks. The joint next to the coop is the one that can leak.

Overall I think your plan looks good.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've large birds, and dimensions of roughly 16" cube for most of my boxes (I actually have two sizes due to the way I partitioned my seven boxes (bad math on my part, miscounted my scrap pieces of plywood). Roughly 12-14" cubes are quite popular and seemingly effective. and like you, I put my box between my uprights, though I was closer to 8' apart than four.

You might find it convenient to rest it on a ledger board or similar. I'm not fond of the idea of setting insulation or similar inside to raise it up - that's just one more thing to be periodically replaced as its damaged by birds scratching away to make the perfect "nest" - better I think to set a ledger board and place your nesting boxes on top of that. Stronger, too.

Having a side open, rather than top open, design is *definitely* the way to go in terms of ease of keeping inclement weather out and long term durability. Do give some consideration to height, however - if its too low, you won't be able to effectively look in without bending/stooping. Too high... You get the idea. Mine is set somewhere around 4' off the ground, so I look down and in, but reach almost straight out to grab eggs or add hay. I could take a measurement, but its really what is comfortable for you that matters most.

 

[bcorps]

So the hen raises up enough to keep that exposed tubing clean so she doesn't take bedding or trash back inside her when she retracts it.

I don't quite follow what your opening to allow a hen to get in will look like.

If the nests are exposed on the south or west side you might want to keep them from becoming ovens.

Speaking of rain. With the slope of your nest top you will have water running over you as you collect eggs. A common problem with nests hung outside is that they can leak if the top is hinged.

I never knew that about them keeping their tube "clean"! I've learned something today

The wireframe is a bit hard to understand unless you drew it...the front opening will have two 2x4's on edge at the front...so 7 inches of "lip" to keep the coop litter out, and the nestbox bedding in. If I ever decide to raise some chicks, I'll put a little ramp at one end of the lip.

My nest box is on the North side of my coop, for that very reason. I prefer to cook my chicken AFTER it's dead.

I made my coop roof overhang big enough that the drip line is past the front of the nest box. So I might need an umbrella, but the nest box roof won't be getting pounded like a drum. Also, the front of the nest box hinges down. I have never liked hinged roof designs.

I've large birds, and dimensions of roughly 16" cube for most of my boxes (I actually have two sizes due to the way I partitioned my seven boxes (bad math on my part, miscounted my scrap pieces of plywood). Roughly 12-14" cubes are quite popular and seemingly effective. and like you, I put my box between my uprights, though I was closer to 8' apart than four.

You might find it convenient to rest it on a ledger board or similar. I'm not fond of the idea of setting insulation or similar inside to raise it up - that's just one more thing to be periodically replaced as its damaged by birds scratching away to make the perfect "nest" - better I think to set a ledger board and place your nesting boxes on top of that. Stronger, too.

Do give some consideration to height, however - if its too low, you won't be able to effectively look in without bending/stooping. Too high... You get the idea. Mine is set somewhere around 4' off the ground, so I look down and in, but reach almost straight out to grab eggs or add hay.

My current layers are fat bottomed Orpington girls. I'm also raising some Barred rocks, a SLW, and one Black Australorp. I've tried to kind of visualize them when laying this out.

What I meant was to put a layer of insulation (like pink sheating board) on top of the plywood bottom, and then lay another piece of plywood in on top of the insulation. That way, the insulation would be protected, and the top piece of plywood could be removed if it needed to be cleaned or replaced.

My door, is somewhere around 46 inches off the ground. I'm tall myself (6'5"), so yeah, bending over all the time gets old.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'd still skip the insulation, and just lay extra straw as needed. The lip you have on the front will keep the house out of the nest.

My flock (in Sig, below) includes a laying (and maybe broody as of a day or two ago) CornishX and some laying Dark Brahma, so i can definitely appreciate the fat bottomed girls!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The boxes look good. Mine are 15" cubes with the internal height clearance rising up to around 24" in the rear (the slope in my case is so that the top is slopes 45 degrees, as my boxes are internal and I don't want birds sitting on top).

 

[MarkJr]

I believe your wire frame shows what I built almost exactly. 12" wide. 20" front 15-16 at rear. 2x2 and a 2x6 across inside to keep litter out of boxes. I had 4 boxes vs 3.

 

[bcorps]

I believe your wire frame shows what I built almost exactly. 12" wide. 20" front 15-16 at rear. 2x2 and a 2x6 across inside to keep litter out of boxes. I had 4 boxes vs 3.

View attachment 2518333

Yeh, that's pretty close, other than the installed height. Just looking at yours makes my back hurt!

 

[MarkJr]

Yeh, that's pretty close, other than the installed height. Just looking at yours makes my back hurt!

I was vetoed. It was going to be directly under the window. I have a chronically broody hen that raises chick's. It's easier to let her do her thing at ground level.