# Anyone have DIY "roll away" nest boxes?



## WeeLittleChicken

Since I had such a fierce time battling egg eating with my last flock we've decided to build roll away ones for our current flock. I was wondering if anyone else had tried building these, and if so if they'd be kind enough to share photos of their projects?


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## robin416

For someone with no imagination would you kindly explain how they are supposed to work? Does the hen push a button and it rolls out and then goes back in when she leaves. I'm being serious here, I have no clue how something like that works.


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## WeeLittleChicken

I had the same question when I first heard about it, so no silly question there. I looked it up on YouTube to see them in action! It looks like the original ones are metal with plastic tub inserts but we'll be doing wood ones. The basic idea is the next box is slanted and the eggs roll to the front (or back) of the box where there is an area to catch them that has a guard over it. I heard great things about them... they reduce poopy eggs too apparently.

This is someone else's box (don't know who...sorry) that I think has the best design... Although it seems like it'd work better backwards? The thing in the front is where the eggs roll and you open it to collect them.


















Here are some other examples that might show it more clearly as they're simpler... 









This one uses a different kind of guard though I don't know how effective it'd be... 









These are the metal ones, though I think they're clunky, having to first move the perch and then open the compartment... Still people must like them, 10 holes for $350+!


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## robin416

That isn't even close to what I was thinking. Told you, no imagination here. 

Does that mean no nesting material too? Seems like it would have to be left out to make certain the egg rolls forward or backward which ever one is used. 

I would think that any nest box that isn't quite level would work. Add the catch basin to whatever side you want to collect from. It looks like that first one has the backside of the box shelf elevated about a half inch. You could build it and just tilt the whole thing forward that much.


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## Fiere

I would not want ones that has the big cover on the front. Could you imagine how much crap would be caked to that every morning! The little 4" piece of strapping (the second last type) would be perfect as it's enough to catch the egg and for the hen to stand on but not big enough to roost on and poop all over. Plus it has a little curtain to hide the eggs once they've rolled into the catch spot. 
It also looks the cheapest option which is perfect.


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## rosco47

It seems like that contraption would be more user friendly if the eggs rolled backwards to where you get access them without getting into the coop...you could have the egg roll back to where the laying box doors are on the exterior of the coop. or am I missing something? seems like all the ones above roll the egg forward.


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## robin416

The direction would depend on the person's setup. For my old coops rolling to the front would be the only way it would work well. I had 11 outside pens running down the long side of the coop, that would mean going into each outside pen to retrieve eggs.


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## WeeLittleChicken

I have seen people use hardware cloth (no nesting material) or AstroTurf. I like the AstroTurf having used it for animal projects before I know it's very easy to clean down when you have to! (Or throw out and replace if it's really bad)

And yeah, that was my thought on the large front loader. Makes more sense to be a backloader where they can be blocked off from perching and pooping on it. Deffinately needs some work...


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## 8hensalaying

Dang it, I just saw a pinterest post with a nice cutaway drawing for DIY purposes. Will see if I can find it and post the link


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## robin416

I was just looking at the first one again, does the area the egg travels to have to be that large? Why couldn't it be shorter to prevent standing around on it?

Good idea on the AstroTurf. I never would have thought of it. But I never had an issue with egg eating so really had no need to explore a fix. The fact most of my Silkies didn't want an enclosed nest they wouldn't have worked for me.


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## 8hensalaying

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/251146116696673065/
This isn't the original one I saw still looking for that one.


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## 8hensalaying

another version, still not the one I saw lol


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## robin416

8hensalaying said:


> another version, still not the one I saw lol


At least you have something to do to keep you out of trouble.


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## Fiere

Pinterest is a pain! You always see something, forget to pin it, and then never see it again! Drives me batty. 

Now I just pin everything, lol. My chicken board is utterly massive.


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## rosco47

robin416 said:


> I was just looking at the first one again, does the area the egg travels to have to be that large? Why couldn't it be shorter to prevent standing around on it?


if your chickens are anything like my 8 are, well were , they all lay in the same laying box. therefore you would need to accommodate several eggs. had 5 laying boxes to 8 hens...crazy thangs


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## robin416

No dividers then. One big nest box. But I now get the reason why the front is so large, someone knew that was more than likely going to happen.


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## 8hensalaying

robin416 said:


> At least you have something to do to keep you out of trouble.


Funny lol! Everything lately is all chicken all the time. No wonder DH thinks I am nuts! I agree on pinterest, I was trying to re-create all my searches yesterday, and still couldn't find it! If I stumble upon it again I will certainly pin it!


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## 8hensalaying

Fiere said:


> Pinterest is a pain! You always see something, forget to pin it, and then never see it again! Drives me batty.
> 
> Now I just pin everything, lol. My chicken board is utterly massive.


So what you need are sub categories,
Feeding
nesting
brooding
coop ideas
etc

It never ends!


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## Fiere

LOL! That could work, but then I'd need to go through and move all the existing pins!


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## WeeLittleChicken

I think I'd go bonkers if I joined Pinterest. I'd be like "And here's something I want to do, and another, and another, and weee!" But thanks for finding the diagram! 

I agree the big box does look like it's to accommodate a flock that likes laying in the same box. The flock I had previous had 20 boxes. They used four... SIGH. Chickens will be chickens.


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## Fiere

I have three for idontknowhowmany hens. They use the corner of the coop. Haha. It's never ending!

Pinterest is amazing. Makes me wish I had lots more money


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## rosco47

ok so I spent a few hours last weekend building one of these to try...
4 ft wide with 4 laying boxes that roll the egg to the back. I will try and post a pic soon.
I built it with the floor flat and I am going to add a small piece of plywood to give the slope. that way if I ever need a chicken to sit on some eggs, I can remove the elevation and block the roll away gap in the back of that one box.

I have a problem though. one of my chickens is still laying and turning right around to eat the egg before it rolls away. she can only peck it once before it gets away from her- generally leaving a huge whole in the shell and ruining the egg. what is the solution? should I make the laying area smaller? add more elevation? make it darker/shaded from light? 

I am currently not using anything on the floor as cushion except a little wood chips at the back of the roll away box for that sudden crash into the wall. I am afraid if I speed the egg up too fast, they (eggs) will crash into each other too fast and break...? ideas?


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## rosco47

***bump***


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## robin416

I don't have any ideas for you. She has got to be awfully quick to hit that egg before it rolls away. Maybe a bit more slope so it moves away from her quicker?


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## WeeLittleChicken

Maybe make the box narrower so it's harder to turn around or make it a back loader? Or fit her with a one of those cone collars?  I don't know, I wouldn't have patience for that, I'd use my game cam to figure out who is doing it... 

Today we're buying supplies and starting to build so stay tuned for pix!


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## janetm

Our nest boxes are sloped to the back for the same reason. I used the foam insulation you wrap water pipes with as a cushion to keep the eggs from cracking when they hit the back. We needed to fix the slope because originally it wasn't steep enough for the eggs to roll well.

Make sure you have enough space between the back of the nest box and the back of the egg box and that the gap the eggs roll through isn't to big. We had a smart hen that figured out where the eggs were going and was reaching under the wall to get to the eggs. We ended up covering the opening with light weight dark material so she couldn't see them.

Hope it works for you.


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## robin416

janetm said:


> Our nest boxes are sloped to the back for the same reason. I used the foam insulation you wrap water pipes with as a cushion to keep the eggs from cracking when they hit the back. We needed to fix the slope because originally it wasn't steep enough for the eggs to roll well.
> 
> Make sure you have enough space between the back of the nest box and the back of the egg box and that the gap the eggs roll through isn't to big. We had a smart hen that figured out where the eggs were going and was reaching under the wall to get to the eggs. We ended up covering the opening with light weight dark material so she couldn't see them.
> 
> Hope it works for you.


LOL I would pay to see a hen doing what yours did.


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## rosco47

Thanks for the help janet. I will make some adjustments. And report back.


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## musketjim

I'm fortunate that I've never had an egg eating problem, but rolling nests might be a good idea for my next coop. Then I won't have to open the coop doors at -40 to get the eggs. My female turkey is just laying outside now so as long as I keep the ravens away I'm fine. Don't know what pinterest is. Maybe I'll check it out sometime.


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## robin416

At -40 you had better be standing right there waiting on that egg to roll down. Dang, the idea of temps like that hurts!


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## musketjim

robin416 said:


> At -40 you had better be standing right there waiting on that egg to roll down. Dang, the idea of temps like that hurts!


It's really not that bad, I suppose it's no worse than the +100 in some places. If I don't happen to catch the eggs before they freeze and crack we just put them in a bowl and when they thaw we mix them with the dog food. So the dogs always try to slow me down and distract me in the winter.


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## robin416

Dogs are so smart. 

I live in one of those places that hits those temps with the humidity to match. You would never be able to convince me it's worse than your cold. Not saying it's pleasant here, just saying that's too cold for me.


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## zamora

I'm with you Robin, thank God for air conditioning but I can't put on enough clothes to get warm in those kinds of temps. I look like the Michelin Man in the winter even here!


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## robin416

Maybe because I was raised in MI the cold here doesn't get to me that bad, Zamora. I know when I had to spend most of a Winter up there with my mother several years ago I was never warm and of course because I lived in the south I didn't possess the kind of cold weather gear needed for being up there.


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## musketjim

The thing about our cold here is it's dry and no wind quite different than the Northeast where I grew up.


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## WeeLittleChicken

I know I posted this thread over a month ago (I think) with plans of making our own boxes, and it took us waaaay long to actually get them done after drawing up plans and buying wood! I think all the drama my life _hasn't_ had in it for yeeears built up and slammed me all at once.... after this past month I am surprised I am still standing! But on a good note... here's our first roll away box! We just installed it this evening so I do not know if it works yet (and since my hens are both lazy, laying in the afternoon, and afraid of everything, it might be a few days before this mystery is solved... but I will keep it updated!)

*Front View:*










Here you can see the guard flips open with hinges for easy collection. We stapled AstroTurf down to pad it enough so eggs don't break.










Here it is before the AstroTurf. I forgot to take a photo during but we built a normal non-slanting bottom and then put a block of two by four scrap wood at the back of the box, and then put a false floor above that - causing the slant. It worked at this point - not so well after the AstroTurf so it remains to be seen if we'll need to increase the slant!


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## robin416

I'll be watching and crossing fingers it does the trick.


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## Alaskan

musketjim said:


> I'm fortunate that I've never had an egg eating problem, but rolling nests might be a good idea for my next coop. Then I won't have to open the coop doors at -40 to get the eggs. My female turkey is just laying outside now so as long as I keep the ravens away I'm fine. Don't know what pinterest is. Maybe I'll check it out sometime.


A lady up here uses roll out nest boxes... She put a tube of pipe insulation where the eggs would bump up against.. And then put heat tape through the middle of the pipe insulation. She says she NEVER gets a frozen cracked egg, and she gets way colder than I do... I think to -40.


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## seminole wind

Wow, always wanted something like that because the crows rob me blind about 3x a year.


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## WeeLittleChicken

Got 15 eggs today, not a single one in the boxes.... They continue to dance around them, "I'm not going to touch that thing!" And so I continue to wait.....


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## Alaskan

Oops! I was gonna say "have you tried putting a fake egg in there" haha! I guess you could glue it down.

The lady up here who uses them, makes them as a dark community nest box... Maybe you need to tack up a curtain to make it dark?


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## WeeLittleChicken

Well it certainly has been interesting around here. Since putting up the boxes I have found eggs under the boxes, in various corners of their coop, in the trash can, in the wheel barrow, behind a stack of plywood, in the middle of the pasture (??) and ONE actually in the box! SUCCESS!! Sort of. I am hoping the others will catch on that the one brave hen who used the boxes didn't die from her decision. Good news is it rolled under the guard! So I'm content.


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## Alaskan

Oh good grief! I would be pulling my hair out!!!

I would maybe try making them darker.


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## rosco47

closing mine in and making it a little darker and secluded helped mine take to it. Krylon the inside dark brown or black and see...


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## robin416

Agree with the others, keep them up for a few days. If they witness another going in the nest then it will encourage the others to check it out.

It's new, chickens are not particularly trusting of new.


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## omishsis

Here's a great and inexpensive idea I found here: http://www.southernagrarian.com/building-a-roll-away-nest-box/
I'm not sure how to upload the photos.


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## omishsis

Here are photos of the DIY rollaway nesting box


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## WeeLittleChicken

Nice! Your hens actually use them? Mine got used to ours and were good about it for a while.... before once again deciding _everywhere else_ was a better place to lay.... I've stopped building boxes of any kind. They're just going to lay on the floor and trash bin anyway. So be it.


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