What do you use for nesting boxes?

I thought I would help out The Fat Ewe with her nest box obsession by posing another nest box question!

I am pretty smug about my solution in my main coop. I had an old, solid wooden shelf. I nailed a few flat boards to the front of each shelf and made large communal nest boxes. The hens love them, pack themselves in and all take turns laying one at a time in the exact same spot. Silly hens. It is like an assembly line.

What do you use?

Rubbermaid type totes. Easy to clean, easy to stack if I want to put them away. Shallo ones for use in a row in a shelf, larger ones with a hole cut int he front then flipped upside down (no lid) on the floor. Cheap, instant, long lasting, easy to make, move, seterilize etc.

We built wooden nest boxes, made them roll away type. But now just end up packing them with straw for regular nests.

I am NOT obsessed with nesting boxes, only new to it. I am a little paranoid about mites and lice and made the lower walls of the chicken coop clad with cement board. The floor is covered with thick rubber matting and over that is peat and then hay. The chickens have occupied the coop for a little over 6 weeks and they now enjoy it. One heat lamp hangs more or less over their perches. The side cage for the bantams is now left open so they can go outside for some vitamin D and fresh air and they do. My nesting boxes are made from an old blanket box I found in the garage, which is partitioned into three sections and a cedar garden box, partitioned into two sections. The hens use 4 of the 5 spaces, but one hen has gone broody as of 2 days ago, so they are now relegated to three, though the fourth is available. For some reason no hens have laid in that box, which is the same size as the other one in the cedar box.

I see pictures of everyone working with their chickens with bare hands and there was a comment about one woman's hands as well, particularly her nails. I never have bare hands when I am working on the farm. In summer, I wear light cotton garden gloves and in winter, rubber winter gloves. I have no idea how people can reach into a nesting box, fully aware there could be poop on the eggs, and pick them up with bare hands. I guess being a city girl, I still like to keep my hands and nails in clean, presentable order, but I really find touching poop rather disgusting. I do pet the dogs with my bare hands, but that is about it. Even for working around the horses, I wear gloves and especially around the chickens.

So far the hay in the nesting boxes is providing clean eggs, but I might add a little shavings on top of that to help prevent any poop on the eggs. Maybe I should add some diatomaceous earth too, for the prevention of mites? I put a chicken apron, um , saddle, on one hen and since I had to touch her, I checked her for bugs and she was clean, thank goodness.

Home made wood nesting boxes in the old coop. In the new coop thinking of using 5 gallon pails on the wall
As for wearing gloves only do that when it is cold. Oh and reason for not wearing color nail polish on my nails is ............so I can see any poop that gets under my nails a good wash and scrub with a nail brush will work wonders.

I use nursery tree pots, just screw the rim of the pot to the wall and remove half the bottom of the pot for the opening. Got this idea from Chickeesmom's place. They work well and are easy to alter, just use a exacto knife.

I have also used some old covered cat litter boxes. This is a favorite for most of my large fowl hens.

k.r.l wrote:
I have also used some old covered cat litter boxes. This is a favorite for most of my large fowl hens.

Do you leave the flaps on, KRL?

When we had chickens before we moved we made wooden ones but this time I'm just going to pick up some milk crates and use those on their sides for nest boxes.

krl, would it be too much trouble to post a picture of the tree pot nesting boxes please. It would be most helpful for me.

Sue I took the flap off the litter box.

Fat Ewe I will try to take a picture of them. They are very easy to make and clean.

in different coops i have rubber maids as was mentioned and just today set up 10 gallon buckets two across and one on top pyramid shaped back to back so six buckets, three facing opposing sides with the lids cut down to a third or so. free standing in the center of the room. we'll see how it works. all with straw in them.

The old nest boxes in my coops are about 12x12x12 with a sloped top to discourage roosting. They are made all in a long row, rather than in a grouping.

I rarely wear gloves on the farm, maybe if it's -40 ... I end up just pulling them off all the time to open gates, doors, use tools etc.

A good scrubbing with soap and water is all that is necessary to eliminate most harmful bacteria, and there's always hand sanitizer if that's not enough.