Greetings! I am building a set of nesting boxes and a thought occurred to me: What if I made them out of cedar -- would that be helpful with insects? I know we've been chatting about bugs being repelled by cedar chips/shavings, and that's why some people don't use them on the floor of the coop. But I thought, why not use cedar on the nesting boxes??? Any thoughts? P.S. I am only making one set of 5 nesting boxes for a small flock, so cost is not an issue. Thanks!

Thats a minimum of 15 board feet, cost could become an issue

I use Rubbermaid storage containers. CHeck the posting on "chickens eating their own eggs" and it will explain what I use. You want to be able to clean out whatever you build...I too built some wooden nest boxes but I find my Rubbermaid ones are better! Cleaner too!

Cedar would work fine. If you live where cedar sawmills are around, like here in Michigan's UP, you can find nice odds and ends in their scrap piles. The chickens should not object to the nice smell of the wood. Good luck.

I use milk crates on there side with a plastic bowl attached with two holes and attached using a cable tie. I also have Asparagus crates ( got from fruit market ) and I knocked out the top for larger birds. Hope this helps if you need to see the milk crates drop me a line and I will send you the site with photos. Good Luck to you
Lorie Ann

I have raised chickens for many, many years but never found nesting boxes I like as much as CJR and her cardboard boxes. I have all the same size boxes and I have a slanted, hinged roof on them so I just lift the roof and go along and pick the eggs.The slant on the roof is steep enough so the hens cannnot roost on them. When I get a setter,I move box and all,as CJr says.CJR's golf balls also work great. This thanks is long overdue,CJR.

Your so welcome--just very glad when it helps someone! I get help from others, too! No end of what are "good things".CJR

Thanks for all the nesting box info! I went to the local lumberyard, and found that cedar would cost almost twice that of pine (you were right Robbpa!!) and since I was trying to follow the plans in one of my chicken books I needed 2 boards, each 10 feet long. Anyway, each board was $14.00 each, and I thought that was PLENTY to be spending on nesting boxes for crying out loud! I take a woodshop so I've already started cutting them to size, and am looking forward to the end result, which should be a neat little set of nesting boxes where my hens can feel cozy and content! Now, do I need to put anything on the wood to protect it? It is not going to be out in the weather, so I wasn't sure it really needed anything. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, and again, thanks to all of you who have contributed to my nesting box question! Annette

Here's another way to go, although it seems you've already made the investment. I obtained lumber for my nest boxes (and the entire coop) from a local sawmill. The lumber was green and rough cut 5/4 pine, but the cost was only 30 cents a board foot, which would equate to about $2 per 1x8x12' board. I build the boxes last fall when the prior to the chicks arriving so the wood has had plenty of time to try. (This does involve a some shrinkage, particularly in the width dimension) Two boards butted side by side when green will have about a 3/8" gap when dry. Prices did vary among the several sawmills I called, ranging from a low of .30 to a high of .45 per board foot. I put siding on our entire 8X10 coop, plus boxes, roost poles, and dropping pit for under 90 dollars. Once the siding (placed vertical) dried the gaps were covered from the inside with roofing felt stapled to the boards, thereby preventing drafts. Hope there were some ideas here you can use in the future. Warren

Warren, thanks for the info! Do you have the plans you used to build the coop?? I don't have a coop yet, as I was thinking of buying a shed from Lowe's, but really wanted to build my own. I'd be interested in anything you had by way of plans! Thanks! Annette

Annette,
I didn't really build mine according to a given set of plans, but looked at what was available in books and kind of built it the way I wanted it. I'll see what I can put together for you. Warren.

Warren, thanks for putting something together for me! I look forward to seeing what you have!! Thanks! Annette

My Gail Damerow book says to put the bank of nest boxes on the floor before mounting them to the wall so they pullets get used to them.

But WHEN? My mixed breed flock is 10 weeks old and the Egyptian Fayoumis could start laying at 17 weeks, the brown leghorn info says 18 weeks and the rest about 20 weeks.

Also, when should I start switching to layer rations? I've recently started mixing in 50/50 grower to oats to try to prevent prolapse later.

I sure wouldn't worry about putting nest boxes on the floor first! I have never had trouble with pullets figuring it out and I would think that putting them on the floor would encourage them to use the boxes as a sleeping area and get confused.

You can switch all yours to layer ration at about the time the first ones are expected to start laying. I usually switch mine around 18 weeks even though some of them won't lay until 22 weeks or so. It's not a problem at that point.

Susie