Chickens Anybody have cheap laying/nesting box ideas?

[Elly]

I am trying to keep my costs down and am on a budget....

 

[Allan Kebet]

Here are a few ideas I saw along the way.



Here is some more information I found on nesting boxes:
The nesting box requires a few things to make it attractive to a hen, it needs to be:

• Quiet
• Safe
• Darkened
• Private

These four things will encourage her to use the box to lay her eggs. If you place the box in a noisy, busy area where everyone can see her, she is not going to use it. A girl needs her privacy for some things!

• Ideally, the boxes will be placed in an area of the coop that is fairly dark and not too busy. The height of the nest box should be no less than 18 inches from the floor and can be as high as a few feet off the ground.
• They should not be at the same height as your roosting bars or you may find your hens sleeping in the boxes! Although this is not a major catastrophe, you will get tired of mucking out the nest boxes each morning.
• Training your hens to use the boxes really isn’t that difficult, but you must start training before they start to lay.
• Placing a golf ball, ping pong ball or fake egg in the nest boxes usually gives them the right idea.
• A couple of Government websites stated one box to 7 hens, however, most people go by one box for every 3-4 hens.
• There are lots of different materials you can use for nesting: wood shavings, straw, pine needles, leaves.

Hope this helps you on your journey!

 

[primabel]

Great beneficial to me