How to Build Hen Nest Boxes

Building hen nesting boxes does not have to be a complicated, large-scale operation. Hens are just as happy to lay their eggs on the ground as they are to lay them in a box that took you hours to build. The real point of a nesting box is to give your hens a little privacy and make it easy for you to collect eggs without having to search all over the coop and perhaps all over the yard as well.

Things You'll Need

  • Dresser with 2-by-2 foot drawers Tape measure Wood saw Drill Compass Pencil 5-inch, wide-mouthed funnel for each box Hot glue gun 2-by-2 inch lumber sheet Hammer and nails Old towels Straw or shredded paper Cloth or rag Sandpaper
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Remove one drawer from your dresser for each nesting box you would like to build. You don't need a separate nesting box for each hen. A 2-by-2 foot drawer can easily house four, especially since they won't all be nesting at the same time.

    • 2

      Turn each drawer over so it's resting on its edges. Then use your tape measure to locate the middle of each drawer by drawing a line across the drawer at 12 inches, both horizontally and vertically, forming a cross. Place the point of your compass at the point where the two lines meet and draw a circle with a 3-inch diameter.

    • 3

      Drill out the center of the circles and then cut out the rest of each 3-inch area using your wood saw. Use your cloth to wipe away any sawdust. Place a funnel directly over each hole so they surround them evenly on all sides. Glue the funnels to each drawer with the hot glue gun.

    • 4

      Cut four legs for each of your nesting boxes by taking your wood saw to your 2-by-2 inch lumber sheet. Make each leg the height of your bucket, plus 6 inches, so you can accommodate the bucket, the funnel and a little extra clearance. Don't make them any taller than this because you don't want your hens to try to climb under the box and lay in the bucket directly.

    • 5

      Sand the top and bottom of each leg to make sure they are flat. Otherwise, your nesting boxes will not sit up properly. Then put one leg beneath each corner of each drawer. Attach them by nailing through from the inside of the nesting boxes so that you don't have to worry about your hens stepping on the nail points. Add extra nails as needed to stabilize the boxes.

    • 6

      Set each box on its legs and slide the buckets underneath so that they are directly below the funnels. Place an old towel in each bucket so the eggs have a soft place to land. Finally, fill each nesting box with straw or shredded paper.