Homemade Chicken Nest

Chickens made great backyard pets, and it is always a pleasure to have farm-fresh eggs. Nesting boxes for your small flock can be made out of simple wooden boxes, milk crates, large PVC piping, or many other materials. In general, you'll want to provide at least one nesting box for every three hens. Chickens prefer to lay their eggs two to three feet off the ground, in an area where they can sit comfortably and safely with a roof over their heads. The nest box should be filled with clean, safe nesting material.

  1. Build Your Own

    • You can easily build your own, multi-unit nesting box units out of old dressers, rabbit hutches or bookshelves. Nesting box units can be made of wood, plywood, or metal. In general, you will want to divide the units into 12- to 16-inch wide boxes. The hen should be able to stand up in the nesting box without bumping her head. The top roof should be slanted to keep birds from roosting (and pooping) on top of the unit. Nest boxes should be lower than roosting perches, or the birds may decide to use the boxes for sleeping instead of laying eggs.

    Reused Material

    • A milk crate turned sideways and fastened to the wall two feet above the ground makes a perfect nest box for chickens. You can also use buckets, barrels, plastic tubs, or anything clean that was never used to hold chemicals. As long as it is sturdy and safe for your birds, you can try it out as a nest box. Different birds will have different preferences as to where they want to lay eggs. Some prefer cave-like enclosures, while others want a spacious loft.

    Nesting Matrial

    • Fill your nest boxes with nesting material. Be generous--let the material pile up two to four inches in each box. This will help prevent your eggs from getting cracked accidentally. The material will need to be changed out weekly. Straw or hay is one popular choice of nesting material, but you can also use shredded newspaper or wood chips.