Nesting box pictures and ideas

[PotterWatch]

I am starting to think about what kind of nesting box I want to put in our coop(s). My oldest hen is about 12wks so I have a little time, but I don't want to be scrambling to figure it out at week 20. I'm looking for a nesting box that is attatched inside the coop rather than one that you reach into from the outside to collect eggs. I could cut a hole in the back of one of our coops if I really had to, but I would rather avoid that. So any pictures you can give and directions on how to build them would be really helpful. Thanks!

 

[pdpatch]

These are the nesting boxes in our main Coop. The is a chicken wire wall seperating the front part from the main area. We were using thins front area to store feed and other items for the Chickens. But we moved the new Laying hens in there for the moment.

Main coop front ,3 boxes for 5 laying hens, But most of the time they all use the same box to lay in.

Back view of nesting boxes. The new Layers like to sleep on it at night.

if the boxes are off the ground as with these, there needs to be a small roost on the front of it, the one in the picture is made from a 1 x 6. The boxes are 12 x 12 x 12 with 1 x 1 welded wire for bottoms. We used 1x4 's from pallets to make the boxes. The upright and legs were made from 2x4's from pallets.

The problem with cutting a whole in the side of the coop for the nesting boxes if water proofing the nesting boxes.


Tom

 

[PotterWatch]

Thanks for the picture!

Anyone else?

 

[Dawn419]

Here's our nest boxes that hubby/doc_gonzo built out of an old plexiglass fish brooder.

Fish Brooder...

He cut out the center section so we ended up with two huge boxes for our Banty gals.

One of them set up in our playhouse coop (last year)...

Since I just added 2 new pullets and will be adding 4 more in a few weeks, we've added the second box. To save floor space, Skip built me a 3 sided "frame" so I could double-decker the boxes.

Close-up of the dadoed frame...

The double-decker nest boxes...

Notice that the bottom box is sitting directly on the pine shavings. We were going to attach them to the wall of the coop but they are heavy enough that we didn't bother.

Hope this is some help!


Dawn

 

[talkin turkey]

I made some cool nest boxes. I will get a pic when it stops raining.

 

[TexasMochi]

I sure hope more people will post their boxes. I'm like you -

I need to get going making my boxes too.

Mine are about that same age as yours (Born March 12)

 

[Dawn419]

Here's a thread with alot more nest box ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=41108

When I first got into chickens, 20 years ago, the nest boxes were nothing more than milk-crates attached to the wall of the coop with heavy-duty cup hooks.


Dawn

 

[TexasMochi]

Ah, now see milk crates and cup hooks is equal to my carpentry skill level!

 

[PotterWatch]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Wildsky]

I used storage totes - those big plastic boxes, turned on their side, with a piece of wood screwed on across the front to keep the shavings and such in.