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3-Box Nesting Box Bank with Roll-Out Option: 3 nesting compartments for flocks up to 12 hens. Dimensioned drawings, a complete material list, and every cut length across 8 assembly steps. Beginner build, one afternoon (3-5 hrs).
Every dimension, spec table and cut list below is free on this page.
The cover sheet from the plan book — the accurate geometry behind the image above. Every dimension, spec and cut length on this page is computed from this same model, so the drawing and the tables cannot disagree.
| Capacity | 3 boxes — nesting for up to 12 hens |
|---|---|
| Nest boxes | 3 compartments — roll-out option included |
| Build time | One afternoon (3-5 hrs) |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Materials cost | $240–$330 at 2026 prices |
Sample sheets from the complete 8-page plan book — dimensioned drawings, cut tables and build references drawn at print quality. The previews below are watermarked; the book is not. Everything published on this page stays free.
The complete bill of materials. Quantities carry no waste allowance — add two or three extra boards if you are new to framing.
| Material | Size | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4" exterior plywood (carcass) | 4' x 8' | 2 sheets |
| 1/2" plywood (roll-out option only) | 4' x 8' | 1 sheet — skip it if you build the bedded floor |
| 2x4, 8 ft (cleats, spacer, roll-out risers) | 8 ft | 2 pc |
| 2x2, 8 ft (landing rail) | 8 ft | 1 pc |
| 1-1/4" exterior screws (panel to panel) | 1 lb box | 1 box |
| 3" structural screws (cleat to STUDS) | — | 4 minimum, into 2 studs |
| Exterior wood glue | 8 oz | 1 |
| Hinges — loose-pin, so the lid lifts off to clean | 2in | 4 (lid + trough hood) |
| Lid stay or a prop stick | — | 1 (holds the lid open) |
| Hook-and-eye or barrel bolt, to hold the lid SHUT | — | 1 |
| Nest pad, rubber mat or artificial turf | 12" x 16" | 3 (MANDATORY on the roll-out floor — never wire) |
| Pine shavings (bedded version only) | 2" deep | 1 bale |
| Exterior primer + paint, light colour | 1 qt each | 1 + 1 |
Nominal vs actual: the list uses nominal sizes (2×4), the drawings use finished sizes (1-1/2" × 3-1/2"). Check your own stock before cutting.
Every step, with the cut list it needs. The summaries here are the short version — the complete 8-page book carries the full written instruction for each one, plus the stop-and-measure checkpoints.
Every cut length below is computed from the same geometry that draws the PDF, so the numbers on this page and the numbers in the plan set cannot disagree.
The carcass comes off 2 sheets of 3/4in exterior plywood, and page 3 shows exactly where every piece lands on them.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floor | 1 | 39" x 16" | 3/4" plywood | |
| Back | 1 | 39" x 30-3/4" | 3/4" plywood | |
| Side / divider | 4 | 16" x 30" | 3/4" plywood | 14" front, 30" back |
| Front rail (lip) | 1 | 39" x 4" | 3/4" plywood | |
| Lid | 1 | 39" x 23-3/8" | 3/4" plywood | 0.75in front overhang |
| Bracket blank | 2 | 5-1/2" x 5-1/2" | 3/4" plywood | cut corner to corner — 2 brackets each |
Stand the 4 side panels ON the floor panel, not beside it, front and back edges flush with the floor's.
The back goes on the OUTSIDE of the side panels and covers the back edge of the floor, so it runs the full 30-3/4".
The front rail is the lip that holds bedding and eggs in. It lands on the FRONT FACES of the side panels and on the front edge of the floor, 4" tall, running the full 39".
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landing rail | 1 | 39" | 2x2 | ease the top edges |
| Landing bracket | 4 | 5-1/2" | 3/4" plywood | half a blank, cut corner to corner |
One piece, 39" x 23-3/8", hinged along its BACK edge at the top of the back panel.
Skip this step and you have a conventional bedded nest box. Build it and the egg leaves the box the moment it is laid, which is how you stop egg eating and stop eggs being cracked or fouled under a sitting hen.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roll floor | 3 | 11-7/8" x 12-9/16" | 1/2" plywood | nest pad glued on top |
| Roll floor riser | 3 | 11-7/8" | 2x4 | laid FLAT — 1-1/2in tall, not on edge |
| Trough hood | 1 | 37-1/2" x 4-1/4" | 1/2" plywood | hinged |
A French cleat. Rip one 2x4 corner to corner down its length at 45 degrees and you have both halves: one screws to the wall, one to the back of the bank, bevels facing each other, and the bank drops on and locks itself down.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French cleat | 2 | 37-1/2" | 2x4 | ONE 2x4 ripped at 45 deg gives both halves |
| Bottom spacer | 1 | 37-1/2" | 2x4 | laid flat — packs the bank plumb |
Bedded boxes: about 2" of pine shavings or chopped straw. Not cedar, and not hay, which moulds.
The 5-page preview PDF is a free download with no email required, and everything published on this page stays free — every dimension, the spec table, the complete material list and all 8 assembly steps with their cut tables. The complete 8-page plan book — every wall on its own sheet with its own cut table, a board-by-board cut plan and a material buy list — is $4.99 on Etsy.
Up to 12. The extension-service rule of thumb is one box per three to four hens — extra boxes beyond that just become sleeping and fouling spots. The roll-out option moves each egg out of reach as it is laid, which keeps eggs clean and breaks egg-eating habits.
Everything on this page — dimensioned plan and elevation drawings, the complete bill of materials (13 line items) and all 8 assembly steps with per-step cut tables — plus what a web page can't carry: the full written instruction for every step rather than the summary shown here, every wall framed on its own sheet, a board-by-board cut plan, a buy list you can hand to the lumber yard, and stop-and-measure checkpoints at each stage. The free 5-page preview PDF shows the design overview and main dimensions. On-page specs are computed from the same geometry that draws the PDFs, so the numbers can never disagree.
Want a look first? Download the free 5-page preview PDF — no email required.
Different size? See all chicken coop plans, or check the size calculator first.