How to Build Egg Laying Wooden Boxes for Chickens

Hens prefer to lay their eggs in safe, cozy and dark locations. If you don̵7;t provide chickens with a nest box, they will find their own spot, or just drop them as they go about their daily activities. By building them a place to lay their eggs, you are more likely to find the eggs and have them be still intact. This is a design for a simple nest box with an open front and low front edge to keep the straw and eggs within the box.

Things You'll Need

  • Untreated plywood
  • Box of 1 ¼-inch screws
  • Screwdriver
  • 2 x 2s
  • Measuring tape
  • Saw
  • Pencil
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure out and mark four squares on the plywood with a pencil. Each square should be equal in size and be large enough to fit your chickens. For reference a square of 14-by-14 inches is suitable for most average size chickens.

    • 2

      Measure out and mark the 2-by-2s. If you are building a 14-by-14-inch box then you will need three pieces of 2-by-2s measuring 14 inches each, and four pieces measuring 10 inches each.

    • 3

      Cut the plywood and 2-by-2s with the saw.

    • 4

      Attach two of the 14-inch 2-by-2s to a cut piece of plywood with the screws, one each along two opposite edges. You should only need to use two screws. The edges with the 14-inch 2-by-2s will be the top and bottom of the chicken box.

    • 5

      Attach the two 10-inch 2-by-2s to that same piece of plywood used in Step 4. Attach these pieces along the side edges perpendicular to the already attached 2-by-2 pieces. This will be the back wall of the nest box.

    • 6

      Attach the remaining 14-inch 2-by-2s to one edge of another piece of cut plywood. Attach the two remaining 10-inch 2-by-2s to the sides of this plywood, perpendicular to and touching the 14-inch piece already screwed in. This will be the floor of the nest box. The 14-inch edge will be at the bottom front of the nest box.

    • 7

      Lay the back wall down on the ground with the 2-by-2s face up. From there, you can attach the three pieces of plywood that do not have edges by screwing them in to the various 2-by-2s. Attach the floor piece last; remember the 14-inch edge should be at the bottom front of the nest box.