Fed up with this 2 story metal 6-box nesting box!

Yesterday, I had one hen on 6 eggs, and a 2nd (super protective one) on so many, I couldn't see to count. Tonight, I went out to lock in the chickens and heard that tiny little peeping. ACK! I thought I had another week!

So, I grabbed John, the isolation suite (aka - old wire dog crate, lol), an old wash tub, & a chick feeder. I then sent John to the big garage, for a scoop of the grower feed & a small waterer, while I proceeded to get her highness's suite ready! Brooding tub - check; bedding - check; feeder - check; waterer - check; a guy to hold mama - check. Then, I moved the 22 remaining eggs, 1 live chick, and two dead ones the other chickens apparently attacked, while mama was out to lunch. Then, I noticed there's still peeping coming from the nest boxes! Apparently, the other ones are also hatching, lol.

So, you might ask... why is it necessary to move them out of the nest boxes? Because both of them choose the 2nd floor ones, to brood in. I'm done. This stupid 2-level nest box contraption has to go. I'm officially looking for the best nest box plans I can find.
They must be:
Mobile & lightweight
Open enough for a couple days of waiting on everyone to make it out of their eggs
Enclosed enough to protect the eggs & give broodies some sense of security
More easily accessible to me, than the ones I currently have
And they must fit into my coop, lol.

So, how do you nest your chickens, so that you can collect eggs easily, check on your girls &/or their eggs/chicks, etc?

can you send an image so we can understand your stress

This one is what I have. Don't let the price tag fool you - I HATE it: https://www.amazon.com/Brower-Galvanized-Outdoor-Poultry-Brooding/dp/B09KHD53Z4/ref=sr_1_16

It's a pain to clean, it's nearly impossible to get a chicken out, if she's not at least a little cooperative (and mine are very gentle birds), because of the way the builders mounted it, it was impossible to reach in from the back, it takes only a bit of upset(like 2 chickens arguing over a bottom box, to knock the floor out of the one above them, causing it and it's contents to fall onto them, the edges of the galvanized floor pieces are not folded over, to prevent cuts, should they become dislodged, they are difficult to reseat, once they're dislodged, and the boxes are all attached, with no way to separate them, and no way to close the front, to keep other hens from trying to 'steal' a nest from one who is sitting, or even to prevent them from adding to the eggs she's sitting on.

I've been perusing pinterest, and I'm seriously considering using a shelf system, with wooden crates, that can be moved, and that I can find a way to make a close-able front on. That likely would have prevented the loss of the 2 dead chicks. I may have to modify the interior of the coop, too.

I'm sorry you have a piece of equipment that's giving your fits. It sounds as though it was made more for looks and not for real functionality. Cheap is a detriment for some things.
I have looked at those before and haven't been impressed by them. I like some of the things they offer - the idea of foldable bits to keep hens out, the fact that all the boxes are attached and so there isn't a huge area to play chicken games,  the potential for easy cleaning, ... They look uncomfortable to me, and a bit smaller than my hens seem to like.

I don't think they're intended to be used for brooding spaces, just for laying.

I use a mishmash of containers that are placed in a sheltered spot. I have an A-frame coop that has turned into the "laying zone" and, while I do sometimes get chickens that sleep there, it's set up for ease of collecting the eggs, safety for broodies, and I can take it apart pretty easy to clean it out as needed.
I use some purpose made open top low sided boxes, a repurposed covered plastic cat litter box, several very large plastic commercial pots wedged on their sides, and two horse treat buckets that have handles that fit over one of the roosting bars. The plastic is easy to clean and doesn't retain temperature. I can toss nasty "boxes" into the larger yard for washing and put them back or rearrange them as I want.
I've learned that the hens really prefer covered boxes, and the repurposed cat litter pan is the most popular, but all of the others have been used as well. It depends on what the weather is like, and the hens involved. Because there is no way to block them off, I do have multiple hens laying or brooding together. I also have all kinds of silly chicken behaviors. I guess I have silly chickens.
I'll try to find some pictures.

I hope you can figure out what would work best for you and yours. I came to the realization that it's like everything else in animal care - a work in progress and constantly changing.

two points;
- Can the loose floor sheets be glued into place permanently with silicone?
- would that help?

I have found old lawn mower rear grass catchers have worked well as nesting boxes.

Thank you, Kristine! I love the repurposed nature of your set-up, ease of cleaning, and it's fluidity - all are things that just must be, for me. And, while I've been trying HARD to eliminate plastics, it really does make for easier cleaning that nearly anything else, and it doesn't rust. I love the ones with a 'roof', too, not just because they prefer it, but because it makes it easier to mound a door, of sorts on the front, for isolating them, if it becomes necessary. I think though, due to floor space, I may have to be a bit more uniform, in size & shape, because even with a 'roof' on each one, I'll likely need to put them on shelves, to get them up, out of the (easy) reach of snakes, and allow for more bad weather play-space, inside the coop. You've given me so great ideas to play with! Thank you!

Thank you, John! I could possibly seal the bottoms in, but then the darn thing would go from really difficult to clean, to impossible to clean. The floor pieces are movable, supposedly to facilitate cleaning. I've just reached my limit with this thing, as far as its intended purpose. BUT!! I've also been toying with the idea of using it as a wall-mounted storage unit, and the floppy floors were the one thing holding me back, from that. You've solved that issue, for me! Now, I just have to decide where a shelving/storage unit like this would be of the most benefit, for or little homestead. I'm leaning toward mounting it in my workshop, for smaller power tools, like the jigsaw, sanders, power drills, etc. But, it actually could end up in the goat barn, or even back in the coop, to hold supplies, first aid kits, and critter-care tools. Great idea on the silicone! Thank you!

1. I am TOTALLY in the camp that nest boxes are easier to manage if they're easily removable and can be taken out of the coop for the thorough cleaning they often need.
2. I'm not at all surprised that Kristine has found that a re-purposed lidded cat box is a favorite. My friend has one that her banties adore. I use large rubbermaid totes with an arched hole cut in the front for my Muscovy, and at times the chickens have ended up with one and have been quite happy.
3. I have generally found that they don't prefer the rounded bottoms of plant pots/buckets on the side.  I've tried 2 or 3 iterations of that concept, and if the chickens have a choice of either my official chicken wooden boxes, or the Muscovy tote ones, they will choose that over the buckets hands down.
4. I ended up with some commercial hang on the wall plastic boxes, and some chickens will use them - I have a group now that lays 3-4 out of their 6-7 eggs in them, but they don't like them as much as our wooden ones, so I wouldn't buy them.
Why? Because chickens like dark, enclosed spaces to lay in and these plastic ones are too shallow front to back and are light beige plastic.
5. I made a couple of "double decker" nest boxes originally, but they were on wheels in moveable shelters, rather than hung on the wall. Yeah - double deckers are too heavy to easily remove to clean, and yeah, you definitely don't want broodies in them!

However, I'm also a fan of moving broody girls to a specific brooding cube where they won't be bothered. My current ones that are pretty  much fully subscribed by my Muscovy at this time of year, are made out of second hand dog X-pen fencing with a lid of whatever. Inside the get a pan of water, a small bucket of water if it's really hot, a small hanging feeder made out of a plastic container, an their nest box. However, due to rat problems, I'm now trying to build raised platforms for these cubes to sit on. If I get around to making them purpose specific, they will be out of hardware cloth for exactly the issues of vermin that people face with broody birds.

I did have an unused run area which I put a chicken in recently - for the nest box I used an oversized dog crate with the door removed - but again this is plastic, and again, that run is not rat-proof and we think we saw signs of rats digging just the other day. Mom's already hatched, but I was hoping they could stay there a couple of weeks until the chicks get bigger... sigh... I've set traps.  https://permies.com/t/219045/Industrial-chickens-won-broody

So here's a picture of the wooden 3-seaters I made for Hubby's portable shelters. The back sits on a bar, and chains from the front to the wall above hang the boxes:


Removing them is as simple as lifting them up a little and unhooking the chain at the top which is just over a screw head - no tools required!

However, to actually clean it, I do use a tool to remove the screws that hold the back panel in place. Personally, I find that a generous "lip" at the front is needed in a hanging box to keep the bedding it. That makes the box much harder to clean unless you make the back removable. Yes, I have friends that have nest boxes without covers, but chickens evolved from jungle fowl and they would not have chosen an open nest area - it would likely have been under shrubs or a cavity by roots or similar if I'm reading their behavior correctly.

So why don't the metal ones work for you and your girls?
1. Shiny - even painting them with matt black metal paint would make them more appealing.
2. Slippery, bendy floor - sounds to me like something that would be like the curved base of a bucket on the side that my girls reject.
3. To use that design, I'd need to find a way that it could be easily attached and removed from the wall. When it was dirty, I'd take it down, carry it out, and power wash it!  However, a six seater could be heavy and awkward. I made my 3 seaters as light as possible, and I still find them awkward.
At 42.9 lbs before bedding and chicken shit, removal would be a 2-person job!
4. They don't look deep enough for the girls to "hide at the back". My wooden ones are 12" wide by 14" deep, and the girls always sit right at the back to lay. The first set I made when I got into chickens were more 12x12 inches, and although we still use them, they are totally not the preferred option. If I had some decent winter workshop space, I would have already built more like ones in the picture above and retired the 12x12 ones to "the idea of using it as a wall-mounted storage unit," to quote Carla!

My hens don't seem to mind this metal contraption, at all. Then again, they've never been offered anything else, so they probably just don't know any better. I have noticed, though, that when they decide they don't want to go back into the coop (I have a couple of little rogues!), they do tend to nest low, hidden, & dark. But, low is dangerous, because there are just too many snakes, here. We've gone out and found snakes in those rogue nests with their bellies full of a many as 4 eggs! And, I closed off the bottom of this metal thing, for a while, because I'd had to set it on the floor of the coop for a while, and found a snake in there, too. That's why I'm leaning heavily towards shelves that I can slide the individual nest boxes on and off, as I need to, for cleaning, isolating, etc.

The coop itself was purchased from a local builder, and is all metal, except for the framing. I told John, even before this issue, that I'm planning to do some remodeling, in there, because there's a lot of wasted space, and with this layout, it's tough to get in there, to clean. Part of that remodel is going to be the nest boxes, and part will be the roost situation. Currently, all the roost bars are on one level, and too close together, so there isn't much roosting space. I'm planning to take that out and repurpose the wood to make it multi-level, and likely quadruple the roost availability to them, at the same time as getting the roost away from the nest boxes and making much better use of the space, while still having a storage & work area.

I'll see about drawing up a floor plan, and will track down some of my old photos of it. I have a pretty good idea what I want and don't want, as far as my larger-scalef1 remodeling, and I'm really only looking for box ideas.

Carla Burke wrote: I'm leaning heavily towards shelves that I can slide the individual nest boxes on and off, as I need to, for cleaning, isolating, etc.  

I totally support that leaning! My only concern is to make sure the nest boxes can't get pushed off or tipped over by a chicken. This can be an issue with my ducks' tote nest boxes, so there's a bracket on them which allows me to twist tie them to something solid. Wooden boxes similar to my 3-seater, but all individual would do what you're asking and I think your birds would like them. Certainly mine do!
And wrote:

Currently, all the roost bars are on one level, and too close together, so there isn't much roosting space. I'm planning to take that out and repurpose the wood to make it multi-level, and likely quadruple the roost availability to them, at the same time as getting the roost away from the nest boxes and making much better use of the space, while still having a storage & work area.

You can't see it in my picture above, but my perches have aluminium "L" brackets bolted on each end. The top of the bracket has a very large threaded rod that bolts the perch to the shelter. A couple of wrenches and the perch comes out for spring cleaning! I've also seen systems where the perches are like a very wide ladder that pivots up to the ceiling for cleaning the shelter. Personally, I'd prefer a design that makes it easy to get them all the way out. That way I can roast the perch in the sun and then oil it (veggie oil) to fill cracks and cover mite eggs. I put a couple of drops of tea tree oil in the veggie oil, but not so much I'd worry about it hurting chicken lungs.

Thank you! I REALLY like the idea of being able to take the roosts out to solar-roast!! I was (until you pointed that out) planning on 1 wide, leaning-ladder type one. But, with your thoughts, maybe I'll make a couple of smaller ones that will more easily come out, for cleaning. That will also make cleaning under them MUCH easier! Combined with the removable boxes, spring cleaning will be a simple matter of remove EVERYTHING, and have a clear shot at the floor!

I've just spent 20 minutes scrolling through pics, and these are all I've found. So, I'll go get some more, so you can see what I'm doing to the outside, as well as the inside.

Ok, going from the outside - in (taken 15 minutes ago, please excuse the mess. Didn't bother with spring cleaning because I'm going to revamp it)...

My plan is to take out the inside wall, between the old fridge & the window, then run a wall perpendicular to where it is now, so it spans the south sides of both doors,  making the chicken side an L shape, and giving them about 4'x5' more floor space, and moving the ladder style roosts into this area.

Once the roosts are built and relocated, and the old one is removed, that will open the other side, giving me more room to work, and allowing for a shelving unit, for more spacious nesting boxes. The whole setup will still offer plenty of storage and workspace in the entry part, on the north side. I'll try to draw up something this evening, or in the morning, to illustrate my plan better.

So you've got some good ideas for making the inside more user-friendly. I totally agree that those perches are way too close together!

1. What's the size and height of the enclosed shed?
2. Do you consider the covered run secure? Or secure for day use only?
3. Have you considered long term plans of adding secure pop doors to the covered run space on both the south and the north and adding secure runs to those two sides? I'd go all along the building and run, as that wall is "free", then maybe use a cattle panel in an arch out? The benefit of that, is you can get chicken feed growing in the two new runs and if predator pressure peaks or you're sick, have a place for the girls to alternate between at least 3 decent sized runs for a period of time. *Note* I said "long term".

Jay Angler wrote:So you've got some good ideas for making the inside more user-friendly. I totally agree that those perches are way too close together!

1. What's the size and height of the enclosed shed?

The door height is a pretty standard height door, so I'd say the low sides are 7.5 to 8ft. The overall size is 10'x20', evenly divided between run & coop. Educated guess, I'd say the interior of the coop is evenly split between chicken side & storage side, right now.

Jay Angler wrote:
2. Do you consider the covered run secure? Or secure for day use only?

The new portion I'm building wouldn't hold anything, yet, but will only be for daytime use. The built-in run though, is very secure.

Jay Angler wrote:
3. Have you considered long term plans of adding secure pop doors to the covered run space on both the south and the north and adding secure runs to those two sides? I'd go all along the building and run, as that wall is "free", then maybe use a cattle panel in an arch out? The benefit of that, is you can get chicken feed growing in the two new runs and if predator pressure peaks or you're sick, have a place for the girls to alternate between at least 3 decent sized runs for a period of time. *Note* I said "long term".

The ground going north & south from the run/coop is steepish - and all heavy clay & rock. There is only about 1foot on either side that is level. The south side immediately drops by about 2ft, then steeply slopes from there down toward the pond and back wooded acreage. To the north, is an uphill slope, not as steep, but is too close to the goat paddocks and is our only tractor path to the back side, and to the back of the coop, without taking an insanely long way around. So no, this is it. There also won't be further expansion in the back(east side) because that would also interfere with other things. The (cattle panel) extension I'm working on, in front, will be approximately 12 - 16 feet long, when I'm done with it (including lining it with chicken wire, because they can currently hop right through it), and will primarily be used in times when it wouldn't be safe to let them free range, which is or usual modus operandi. All of this plus John's & my physical limitations is why the feeder & waterer are so big - each is a 55gal container. The feeder comfortably holds 200lbs of (non-gmo/organic) feed. Those red mineral tubs will ultimately be planted with a chicken-friendly garden, though at the moment, most aren't planted, at all... anymore (thanks to the chickens, grrr - they did have plants, this spring).  So, other than the extension I'm working on, in front, this is it. I've housed as many as 30 birds in there, already, in relative comfort, but they do get a bit cabin-feverish, when cooped up for long, hence the majority of these renovations.

I'm planning to add more entertainment options, too.

I think it would be safe to separate ol mama hen and chicks from the flock for now and keep them in a different place while she raises then. When they are a little bigger, you can reintroduce then to the flock. That way they will have a better chance at life, and less likely to be pecked to death. Congratulations on your new chicks! 🐣🐤🐥

Rachel Elijah wrote:I think it would be safe to separate ol mama hen and chicks from the flock for now and keep them in a different place while she raises then. When they are a little bigger, you can reintroduce then to the flock. That way they will have a better chance at life, and less likely to be pecked to death. Congratulations on your new chicks! 🐣🐤🐥

Hi, Rachel! Yup. We've gone this route several times now. She and her nest are in the isolation crate(aka maternity suite), and have been there a couple days, now.  If/when they are all done hatching, I'll let her take the lead in introducing them to the rest of the flock, because that's always worked for me, in the past. Unfortunately, this is one of my younger hens, and she seems confused (as I would be, in her situation) about which eggs were the ones she started with, and which were the ones the other hens nudged her over and laid with her initial batch. This morning, there were two hatched and seeming healthy, this evening, one of those is dead - she apparently suffocated it. There's another egg that I'm not sure about whether it's resting, on its way out, or if it's dead. There are still 20 under her, but neither she nor I have a clue which were laid when, so I've no idea what to expect of of them - if anything. All because of this crappy nest box contraption that makes it so difficult to move a broody & her nest away from the other hens, who just want to drop and go.

Carla Burke wrote:... I've no idea what to expect of of them - if anything. All because of this crappy nest box contraption that makes it so difficult to move a broody & her nest away from the other hens, who just want to drop and go.

A hint for people moving to a portable nest box system: try to make sure your nest boxes are lower to the ground than the perches, as then birds will be less likely to start sleeping in the nest boxes. Sleeping in nest boxes tends to make a poopy mess of them as well as making it harder to notice that a hen is spending more time in the box because she's going/gone broody.

Jay Angler wrote:
A hint for people moving to a portable nest box system: try to make sure your nest boxes are lower to the ground than the perches, as then birds will be less likely to start sleeping in the nest boxes. Sleeping in nest boxes tends to make a poopy mess of them as well as making it harder to notice that a hen is spending more time in the box because she's going/gone broody.

Yup - exactly why this contraption is on the floor. The roost is so low, they all tried to squish into the nest boxes, instead. That was a mess!

Have you considered whether the door that swings "into" the chicken area, would be less problematic for perches if it swung out instead? My dad once did that "fix" on a small bathroom and it made the space much more convenient without making the area outside more awkward.

I finally stopped everything else long enough to draw up the floorplans - both current, and the one I'll be acting on (this is decided, and I'm not budging from it, lol), as soon as these chicks (3 live ones, so far) are big enough their militant mama is ready to integrate them with the flock, and my fiber arts guild schedule goes back to normal, I'll begin the major construction - so... mid to late August, most likely. I'm figuring with their growth rate, they'll be ready before I am, but I've also decided on my order of operation, and the first thing can be done this week. The space for the new roost is too narrow to fit 2 narrow ones, and will likely only be 1 that is 2.5 - 3ft wide. But, the door that will be part of the new wall will be hinged on the right, to allow for the ladder roost's easy removal, and the bottom frame of the existing inner wall will serve as a brake for the roost legs, so no mounting hardware will be necessary. All I'll have to do to remove it will be slide it up a bit, tip it, lower it again, and walk it straight out the open doors. Now, I just have to decide on the nest boxes - the whole reason I even wrote OP for this thread, and they must be decided upon *before* I build the shelf/shelves for them:

1 - Change door-swing direction - possibly tomorrow or Wednesday! (Thank you, Jay!)

2 - Start building roost ladder, in workshop (can be done in the big workshop, regardless of weather, bird readiness, etc, might even start on it, next Tuesday or Wednesday)

3 - start framing out new wall section

4 - mount door to new wall section (I already have a perfect one, sitting in my small workshop, waiting for its new home!)

5 - mount chicken wire to new wall framing

6 - remove chicken wire from old wall section (that framework is load-bearing, so must remain, but will add another roosting spot)

7 - install ladder roost

8 - remove old roost

9 - use old roost lumber to frame out shelves to fit new nest boxes

10 - move old nest boxes to other wall, temporarily

11 - install new shelf framework

12 - install new nest boxes/remove old

13 - build storage section, with isolation space underneath & work space on top, in case of medical need. In the last set of pics, you'll see the beginnings of this build, in the pallet sections already mounted to the walls, for support braces.

Great job, Carla!
A few things to contemplate:
1. As you're designing/attaching the two doors that enter the chicken area, consider if the one on the north/south chicken wall, can be just far enough north (maybe by adding a couple of 2x4's to space it north from the wall) so that both doors can open against the new east west wall at the same time (ie the E/W door will open flat against the wall, then the N/S door will open flat against the E/W one. This will allow you to have both open at the same time while doing spring cleaning and from dealing with the poorly designed coop the former owners of our property built, will be handy.
2. As you mentioned above about being able to build the ladders slowly as time allows, so too with the nest boxes once you decide their size. The size may be partly dependent on the material and width of the open areas.
3. Since you are going for individual nest boxes, consider adding a shelf out in the work zone for putting a spare or "not needed" few boxes. If your flock tends to fluctuate in size, it's great to have some flexibility in the system. I find it great to have a spare clean nest box or 3 for my Muscovy as they can go broody at the most inconvenient, busy times!! (Dang it ducks, berry season has started early and I don't have time to deal with you guys wanting eggs!)

Jay Angler wrote: Great job, Carla!
A few things to contemplate:
1. As you're designing/attaching the two doors that enter the chicken area, consider if the one on the north/south chicken wall, can be just far enough north (maybe by adding a couple of 2x4's to space it north from the wall) so that both doors can open against the new east west wall at the same time (ie the E/W door will open flat against the wall, then the N/S door will open flat against the E/W one. This will allow you to have both open at the same time while doing spring cleaning and from dealing with the poorly designed coop the former owners of our property built, will be handy.

Thank you! That door frame is load-bearing, and I'm not messing with that - it's just too low on my priority list for the added work. I'm just moving the hinges, so the door swings out, instead of in. But, that will actually still allow both doors to open to the new wall, at the same time - one just won't open all the way. It's still going to be MUCH easier than it is, now.

Jay Angler wrote: 2. As you mentioned above about being able to build the ladders slowly as time allows, so too with the nest boxes once you decide their size. The size may be partly dependent on the material and width of the open areas.

That would be the case, *if* I make my own. Frankly, I'd rather not. I've so much to do, this summer, that I just don't think I am going to be willing to add even that relatively simple task to my list. BUT, this is still my question. I'm not really sure I've found the solution for them. I *think* I'd LOVE some form of crates, tipped on their sides, with a chicken wire door that can be latched shut. I know: I want to put them on shelves; they need to be relatively light weight & not too bulky, so I can move them with a hen & eggs inside; they must be easy to clean; they must be big enough for a broody hen's comfort & chick safety, yet discourage other hens from invading them. I think that while building them from scratch is not likely to happen, simple modifications to an existing crate (or similar) might be an option.

Jay Angler wrote: 3. Since you are going for individual nest boxes, consider adding a shelf out in the work zone for putting a spare or "not needed" few boxes. If your flock tends to fluctuate in size, it's great to have some flexibility in the system. I find it great to have a spare clean nest box or 3 for my Muscovy as they can go broody at the most inconvenient, busy times!! (Dang it ducks, berry season has started early and I don't have time to deal with you guys wanting eggs!)

The planned storage space under the work table will house 2 or 3 spares that will not only be extras, but also be swapped out to replace the one(s) pulled out of the main nesting area, for isolation purposes. That way, the remaining hens will still have sufficient space for laying, and/or adding to my broody-girl count. Depending on the number, size, & shape of the boxes, I might add an option to hang some at the ceiling, too. Another storage option would be an enclosed/ covered container, under the roosts,  but that would have to be very easy to clean and to remove for cleaning the roosts. Another very possible option for under the roosts would be a tarp, hung hammock-style under it, that would help contain their mess and keep it off anything stored under there. But... that's not happening now, either. After all - if it all gets done this year, what EVER will I do, next year? :P

P.s. after this is done, I have to rip out and rebuild the stalls in the goat barn. The outdoor kitchen has been put on hold, for another year or two, because of all of this being necessary.

Carla Burke wrote:

. I *think* I'd LOVE some form of crates, tipped on their sides, with a chicken wire door that can be latched shut. I know: I want to put them on shelves; they need to be relatively light weight & not too bulky, so I can move them with a hen & eggs inside; they must be easy to clean; they must be big enough for a broody hen's comfort & chick safety, yet discourage other hens from invading them. I think that while building them from scratch is not likely to happen, simple modifications to an existing crate (or similar) might be an option.

Ok, I was thinking more in terms of just a "nest box" which then got lifted with mom and eggs and put into a larger crate like upcycled large dog crates for the "setting and brooding" part.

The closest commercial crates that I've seen with chickens laying happily in them have been covered cat litter crates. However, they wouldn't be large enough for feed and water for chicks. Even the dog crate I used for Mrs. Coop only had the feed inside. The water was right outside the opening as I didn't use the door. You can make hanging feeders and waterers, but it is normal for a hen to come off their nest and stretch their legs. It's just that in the real world, their nest would be hidden and the density of hens wanting to interfere would be much lower!

Hubby thinks I'm crazy for saying my sitting ducks need a 4'x4' space to set in, but I'm pretty sure that other people have aimed around that size due to that need for the moms to move around during certain phases of the egg development.

I totally hear you about not biting off more than you can chew. I'm absolutely sure that I'm going to run out of summer before I run out of the things I *really* want to get done this summer!  

Jay Angler wrote: Ok, I was thinking more in terms of just a "nest box" which then got lifted with mom and eggs and put into a larger crate like upcycled large dog crates for the "setting and brooding" part.

The closest commercial crates that I've seen with chickens laying happily in them have been covered cat litter crates. However, they wouldn't be large enough for feed and water for chicks. Even the dog crate I used for Mrs. Coop only had the feed inside. The water was right outside the opening as I didn't use the door. You can make hanging feeders and waterers, but it is normal for a hen to come off their nest and stretch their legs. It's just that in the real world, their nest would be hidden and the density of hens wanting to interfere would be much lower!

Hmmm... I've been using a wire dog crate and moving the nest box into it, so far. But, the nest boxes I put in them have been plastic wash tubs, from the dollar store - obviously not the best option, but it's what has been available. The difficulties in this method have been the wash tubs, which are barely big enough for this purpose, are still too big to simply slide into the crate, and must be tipped cadywompus to go into the crate, then filled with bedding, then the eggs, and finally, the hen. This means I can't do the whole thing alone. I need a second person to be brave enough to hold onto an irate hen (that I've just fought to get out of this despised nest box, as she pecks wicked blood blisters onto my hands), whilst I disrupt her home, mess with/move all her precious babies, then take her back into my own arms, to gently place a fighting mad, wiggly hen back onto an unfamiliar nest. To say the whole thing is a peaceful, pleasant experience for any of us would be an outright lie - and is the primary reason for my current frustration. (Yes, I've tried leather gloves, but they seem to terrify my girls even more, making the blood blisters seem like a walk in the park, by comparison. I try to grab them by the neck or head, then gently scoop them out - getting to the neck or head is the first hard part, then once they're out, the claws are the problem. I'm not about to discuss other methods for this. I just want to avoid the trauma altogether, with better nest boxes, so it isn't an issue.)

Jay Angler wrote:Hubby thinks I'm crazy for saying my sitting ducks need a 4'x4' space to set in, but I'm pretty sure that other people have aimed around that size due to that need for the moms to move around during certain phases of the egg development.

The dog crate I'm using is definitely too small - and I only have the one small one. But, it's what I have. The next one up that we have, is too big, and is our usual containment for transporting my goat does & kids. Buying multiple new ones in the best size isn't an option... John has some that he made of hardware fabric(.5inch wire) for his now abandoned quail project, but I'm not very hopeful that any are quite the right size. I wonder if he'd be amenable to me frankenstiening them into a couple maternity/ isolation suites. That will only work if he's truly thrown up his hands permanently, on the quail. I'll look around and see what all he has, up there, and if there's anything suitable, maybe I'll ask him.

Jay Angler wrote:I totally hear you about not biting off more than you can chew. I'm absolutely sure that I'm going to run out of summer before I run out of the things I *really* want to get done this summer!  

Exactly... But, I suppose if I make/ find one more of some form of isolation crate, that will do, for now - and would only be 1 relatively quick project. Then, I'll have all winter to build a better second & maybe third one for brooding, and that would still leave the little dog crate for non-maternity isolation. If I do it that way, maybe something like milk crates, wooden produce or old soda crates would be good for simply placing onto the shelves, for laying in, and they'd be easy enough to move, without disturbing the eggs, if someone goes broody. Ok, so my next task is to go check out the quail containment he has, for my other little broody girl. One step at a time, right?  

Thank you, Jay, and everyone, for being so very helpful! You've made a huge difference, already, and now that I have a clearer path, my frustration has subsided, and I can start building the path into a road!