Added a couple of bits of cloth to keep the nest nice and dark. When the paint trays are in place they will roll the eggs to the front of the box and away from the hen. These nest boxes are an inexpensive alternative to commercially available roll-out or standard nest boxes. Chickens need these nest boxes to lay their eggs, but most of the time they end up breaking their eggs. Benefits of using these roll-out nest … These nest boxes are made from 18 gallon storage boxes that I bought in a 3-pack from Lowes. There are a number of different designs that can be bought or built. Used a few old bits of ply wood and a pair of curtains and made this. Well, these diy roll away nest boxes would probably be considered an upgrade to those. Curtains! Unless you use ‘open plan’ boxes, the nest box should have a 4 inch lip to make sure the egg doesn’t roll out and break. Collecting is easy via the front hatch. I looked at several different ones before deciding that plastic storage boxes would make an ideal material to start with. They are gimbaled to maintain proper functioning while on uneven pastures, which commercial boxes do not offer. Accessorize Your Nesting Box. We needed roll-away nest boxes. This design helps you eliminate that problem, as the eggs roll down away from the chickens once they lay them. Now for the nest box itself. This size nest box will accommodate 200 hens. You can take any of the plans above and turn them into a unique design with some simple accessorizing.