Things You'll Need
- Milk crates
- Cable ties or hammer and nails
- Nesting material
- Burlap flap
- Two-by-four
- Plywood or aluminum roof
Instructions
Turn clean, dry milk crates on their sides.
Using large cable ties or large nails, depending on if your coop is made of wood or chicken wire, fasten the milk crates to the side of your chicken coop with the opening facing outward. Place nesting boxes at least two feet off the ground, but lower than any perches. Otherwise, the birds may choose to roost rather than lay in nest boxes.
Fill nest boxes generously with straw, hay, wood chips or shredded newspaper. There needs to be two to four inches of nesting material per box to keep hens comfortable and prevent eggs from accidentally getting cracked. Replace the nesting material at least once a week.
Tie a square of burlap to hang down over the entrance as door flap.
Glue or nail a two-by-four in a horizontal orientation to the top of the nesting box, flat up against the wall.
Glue or nail a piece of plywood or aluminum to the top of the two-by-four so that it covers the top of the nesting box at a 45 degree angle. This false roof is to keep birds from roosting, perching and pooping on top of the nest box.