How to Build Your Own Nesting Boxes for Chicken

While chickens will roam their pen looking for food and perch on nearly any available surface, they do need small, enclosed areas to lay their eggs. Nesting boxes are important for anyone who wants to keep chickens, and you will find that there is no need to to purchase them when they are so easy to make. When you want to make sure that your chicken eggs are all in one place and easy to get to, making your own nesting box can be the solution that you are looking for.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic tub with a latching lid
  • Jigsaw blade
  • Sandpaper
  • Awl
  • Wire
  • Straw
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a plastic tub with a latching lid. These plastic tubs are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased from any home improvement or home goods store. The kind that are used to store files and documents are often a good size for most chicken nesting boxes. Also remember to choose the kind that are opaque, rather than the kind that have translucent sides.

    • 2

      Cut a doorway into the long side of the plastic box with your jigsaw blade. The doorway should be large enough for your chicken to go through and small enough to reassure her that she is somewhere safe and enclosed. Do not worry about needing to reach your hand into the opening because when you want to get at the eggs, you only need to open the top. There should be a 2-inch lip below the doorway so that the eggs and straw do not fall out.

    • 3

      Sand the opening down with a medium grit sandpaper. This will help ensure that your chicken does not cut herself on any sharp plastic edges that might be sticking out.

    • 4

      Create two holes in the long side opposite the doorway using your awl. To make sure that your chicken is not irritated by the sharp bits of plastic, create the holes from the inside of the tub going out. The holes should be oriented horizontally along the upper third of the nesting box, in the center.

    • 5

      String wire through the two holes and twist the wire into a loop. This wire loop will let you hang the nesting box up and secure it to the wall of your pen.

    • 6

      Line the bottom of your nesting box with straw. This makes it an attractive and comfortable place for your chickens to nest.