When arranging a chicken coop, in addition to drinking troughs, perches for sleeping and other devices, nests for chickens are installed, which allow you to save eggs from hatching by other laying hens. In addition, birds begin to lay eggs only in this place. Let’s analyze how to make nests for chickens with our own hands.
Types of nests and their features
Skilled masters create nests for laying hens with their own hands, using what is found nearby. The main thing is to choose a type of construction, to draw up the correct drawing. Experienced breeders use boxes made of wood, containers made of strong plastic of large volume.
There are two varieties:
- Boxes. Easy to make. If necessary, separate places for laying can be provided for all hens.
- With ovipositor. Convenient designs, equipped with a tray where the eggs roll. Thanks to this, the chickens do not come into contact with the products, and the shell remains clean.
When making structures, anatomical features of laying hens are taken into account. If mounted, violating the technology, the birds will refuse to sit in them, not to fly, but it is far from always possible to get used to them.
The number of nests in the chicken coop
Determine the number of nests, taking into account the size of the adult population. One nest equipped according to the rules is required for 5 individuals:
- Choose small nails. If the metal products protrude from the reverse side, the chickens may be injured.
- Having assembled the structure together, it is inspected. They remove cracks and chips.
- The floor of the nest is covered with clean sawdust.
The main rule is that the nests for the chicken coop should be safe.
Dimensions and drawings of nests
First of all, drawings are made, indicating the dimensions. Some of the indicators depend on which direction the laying hen breed belongs to. Below is a table of nest sizes for laying hens.
| Breed | Width, mm | Depth, mm | Height, mm |
| Egg orientation | 250 | 350 | 350 |
| Meat and egg orientation | 300 | 400 | 450 |
The threshold is made with a height of 50 mm. A pole is mounted in front of the entrance hole, keeping a distance of 100 mm. Its section is 50 by 20 mm.
To prevent birds from spending the night on the roofs of structures, they are made at an angle of 45 ˚C. They install ready-made structures for the settlement of birds. So they get used to it faster. Therefore, when creating a room plan, the placement of all the necessary devices, a seat, etc. is taken into account.
To build the simplest structures, fruit and vegetable boxes, plywood, sheet wood, OSB are used. However, it is recommended to install complex structures that take up less space.
Step-by-step construction instructions
How to make nests for laying hens is a question that interests novice breeders. A detailed description of the stages of construction will answer it.
From improvised materials
Nests for chickens can be made with your own hands from boxes, interior items, tires, and buckets. The main rule is a sufficient amount of free space inside and convenience.
The material is processed to eliminate defects, chips, sharp areas, signs of rotting processes. After installation, the containers are filled with sawdust, straw, hay, and equipped with curtains to create partial shade.
With ovipositor
It is distinguished by an additional compartment into which the products are rolled. It remains intact and protected. The bottom is made at an angle.
Production:
- Assemble the base of the structure. Rectangular blanks are cut out of hardwood – the walls of the nest. Their dimensions are 650 by 900 mm. The front wall is made 650 by 400 mm. The entrance is equipped at a height of 350 mm. Side and front blanks are connected with bars. The back is not fixed.
- Cut 2 blanks measuring 900 by 400 mm. This is the ceiling and the floor. They are fixed with bars to the blanks from the sides.
- A half slope is cut, which is mounted at an angle of up to 15˚ from the floor. The dimensions of the workpiece are 950 by 400 mm.
- The bottom is covered with sawdust, the slope is screwed on top with self-tapping screws.
- Mark out a rectangle with sides of 400 and 450 mm – the back wall. It is made shorter than others. As a result, a hole is formed. An egg rolls through it. The opening is covered with a plastic curtain.
- They install a box where the eggs roll. Plastic containers or wooden boxes are suitable.
In the egg collector, the bottom is covered with straw to soften the blows.
Frame nest
Durable and strong. Sheet wood and blocks are prepared for construction. The frame is knocked down from the latter. It is sheathed with plywood or wood. If necessary, you can install an egg collector.
Made of metal
This design has been in service for decades. Necessary:
- steel sheet;
- pipes with a diameter of 30-50 mm;
- metal mesh (shackle);
- screws
Instruction:
- According to the drawings, markings are made on the metal, blanks are cut.
- To close the bottom, the shackle is pulled.
- Fasten the elements in a strict sequence: walls, bottom, roof. The bottom is mounted at an angle of 10˚.
- A container made of galvanized steel and lined with fabric is mounted in front.
With container
You will need:
- felt, fabric;
- hardwood;
- egg container
Instruction:
- First, collect the box. Mount the side walls, and then the floor at an angle of at least 10˚. They cover the roof.
- The front is sewn up, completing the entrance hole.
- At the bottom of the back wall, make a hole for rolling the eggs into the tray.
- A container neatly lined with felt or fabric is placed under the bottom.
- It is recommended to regularly sprinkle a minimum amount of sawdust on the bottom.
Nest-booth
A beginner can make such a nest for chickens. However, the structure lacks an egg collector – laying hens can peck or press eggs.
Prepare for work:
- 4 beams;
- a sheet of wood or OSB with a thickness of 10 mm;
- self-tapping screws
Instruction:
- A sheet of wood is treated with sandpaper. 4 squares with sides of 350 mm and 4 bars of the same length are cut from it.
- An entrance hole is cut in one of the blanks.
- The cut parts are connected with bars at the corners and fixed with self-tapping screws. At the end, check that the tips of the hardware do not stick out.
- They inspect the finished structure and remove all chips and sharp corners.
- Cut out two identical rectangles – the floor and the roof. Fasten them to the walls.
- A bar is stuffed in front of the entrance to make it easier for the chickens to take off.
Nails can be used to fasten individual parts. However, self-tapping screws more reliably fix individual construction details.
With a double bottom
Will appeal to farmers who do not have time to collect eggs regularly. Prepare:
- plywood boards;
- metal products;
- upholstery, for example, felt;
- sandpaper
Instruction:
- Assemble the frame like a booth. The floor in it is mounted with a slope of 5˚ relative to the back wall. This creates a gap through which the eggs roll.
- The bottom of the pallet is made longer by 100 mm, which allows you to get products without difficulty.
- The pallet is covered with felt or ordinary fabric.
- A bar is attached to the front of the pallet. The egg collector is also installed at an angle of 5˚.
The floor is recommended to be made of mesh – this ensures ventilation of the flooring.
How to attach correctly
Nests should not only be placed correctly, but also installed. They are mounted at such a height that the hen can easily fly to the threshold.
A common method is installation using unique supports made of wood attached to the wall of the building. To build them, metal products and boards of 300x40x20 mm are used.
Instruction:
- They determine the place and screw the board to the wall. This is the basis of support.
- The second is mounted at an angle of 45˚. The boards should diverge from below. A distance of 400 mm is kept between them.
- Two more boards are fixed in the same way, making a retreat from the first pair by 45 cm. They should diverge from above.
- Structures are installed in the compartment and fixed with nails on the slanted bar.
It is not recommended to mount the sockets to the walls of the building.
Nest care
To avoid the occurrence of serious diseases in chickens, it is recommended to properly clean the places for laying eggs. Experienced breeders:
- It is cleaned regularly, the bedding is changed as it gets wet, eggs are collected daily.
- Before adding new litter, the bottom is treated with a disinfectant solution. This is a preventive measure. The procedure is carried out once every 7 days.
- To get rid of pathogenic microorganisms, the structures are fumigated with special checkers, wiped with diluted bleach, and then the room is ventilated.
- Every 3 months, they check whether the structures are securely fixed. Current repairs are carried out regularly.
If at first the chickens did not want to lay in a certain nest, the structure is defective or it is located in an inconvenient place.