Nest Box picture

Saw this on one of my Friends pages  
No instructions but I am sure there are people on here that can build it if they wanted to
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That looks pretty simple to build, and durable.
Looks like a cut off pallet on the bottom, milk crates with a 1X4 in the front to keep the nexting materials in, then some 2x4's for separation and so forth. Thinking a person could just use the other half of the pallet for the separation?
I just might have to try this. I use milk crates upright for my nests in my breeding pens right now, work good, but having a top on them like this would maybe cause less of the crowding issues I have right now...

I'm getting a lot of broken eggs with the wooden boxes I made that are the same basic shape.  I have put in carpet pieces for the Delawares, but the plastic crates may be less harsh.  Any suggestions for obtaining the milk crates?

Milk Crates check with your local store sometimes they will have them

Jayme did you see that the front boards are on with looks like wire ties
I wonder if they are wire tied to the pallets Or maybe use Fence staples to attach them to the pallets

Nifty design! Milk crates seem to be a hard find though...

Rosewood, do your nest boxes have lots of nesting material? I find a good, thick layer of straw really helps in that regard. Even when 2+ hens all cram in to one box because everyone just has to lay their eggs in the exact same spot.

appway wrote:Milk Crates check with your local store sometimes they will have them

Jayme did you see that the front boards are on with looks like wire ties
I wonder if they are wire tied to the pallets  Or maybe use Fence staples to attach them to the pallets

Yeah, looks like heavy duty zip ties.

The litter in the nesting boxes is definitely part of the problem as the hens just kick the litter out. I can't even find the straw in the area after 3 days so they must be eating the straw.

Flicker Chick wrote:Nifty design! Milk crates seem to be a hard find though...

Rosewood, do your nest boxes have lots of nesting material? I find a good, thick layer of straw really helps in that regard. Even when 2+ hens all cram in to one box because everyone just has to lay their eggs in the exact same spot.

Flicker, I can probably get you some. I have an in with our grocer, it's called 'friendship'. He told me the black ones are up for grabs but the yellow ones are not.


I also have a problem with birds smashing eggs, but it seeeeeems to be turkey birds smashing eggs when they get in the nest. It does not matter how much straw, once she climbs in, there's eggs smashed in the shape of a raptor foot.

Rosewood, what about laying out grass clippings to dry thoroughly and using that?

rosewood wrote:  Any suggestions for obtaining the milk crates?

Get drunk and walk home late at night on a route that takes you behind a grocery store. From what I remember of myself and my friends in university, the milk crates magically appear in your room the next morning.

if you can't wait til morning to check, don't worry, sometimes they magically appear on your head a bit sooner.

I think Hillbilly and Fowler together would leave me breathless on the floor with laughter.

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Sweetened, that would be fabulous!  I'd love to have a few more milk crates of any colour. I actually have one prized yellow that I "borrowed" from my mum a few years ago   until she finally relented and just let me have it.

And this way I won't have to go the Fowler/Hillbilly route and ruin my relations with our grocers in town.