EcoNest Colony Box
This simple, budget-friendly nesting box rolls eggs forward into a protective tray and prevents hens from soiling or eating eggs.
Good choice for those that collect eggs from within the coop and allow 24/hr access to nesting box.
California Residents: Proposition 65 Information
Instructions/Diagrams:
Getting Hens to Lay in a Nest Box 
Benefits
- Accommodates up to 45 hens (throughout the day, not all at once)
- One-way egg rollout tray. Lid flips up for quick egg access
- Durable, galvanized metal construction
- Sloped top prevents the hens from roosting
- Curtained nesting area for privacy and security
- Removable nesting pad—a plastic, easy to clean bedding replacement (does not reach into egg collection tray)
If segmented compartments (for shy birds) or a rear-mounted (outside the coop) egg collection tray are needed, look to the VersaNest™ Laying Box.
Specs
| Nest Box Comparison | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| VersaNest™ Laying Box | EcoNest Colony Box | ||
| 2-hole | 4-hole | 4-hole | |
| Dimensions | 20.5"L x 19.5"W x 20"H | 40.5"L x 19.5"W x 20"H | 46.5"L x 19.5"W x 21"H |
| Number of Hens | Up to 22 | Up to 45 | Up to 45 |
| Material | Galvanized | Galvanized | |
| Roll-out Tray | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Sloped Top | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Curtains | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Dividers | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Nesting Pad | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Reversible | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Roost | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Price | $168 | $234 | $189 |
Shipping
Installation
Tips
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Nesting Boxes
Replacement Nest Pad (47.75"L x 19.50"W)
Item #540418 -Easy-to-clean nesting pads for chicken laying boxes. Plastic nest box pads are washable and deliver cleaner, less contaminated poultry eggs.
$26.00 -
Poultry Supplies
Wooden Nest Egg
Item #530137 -Attractive nest egg that discourages egg eating. Won't break when dropped like ceramic eggs.
$1.41 -
Equipment
Ceramic Nest Egg
Item #530136 -Encourages hens to lay eggs in their nesting boxes rather than elsewhere on the farm.
$1.30 -
2023 New Products
FlockLeader™ Healthy Coop™, 12 lbs
Item #540335 -Litter additive to reduce odor and wetness that can cause harmful bacteria and mold in and around the coop.
$34.00
Write a Review
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Jenny O from Texas
We ordered the EcoNest Colony Box to be ready when our pullets started laying (we’re re-establishing our flock). This one looked to be the best for the amount of money we could spend.
It was a major pain to assemble! The instructions from your website were better than those in the box, but still unclear and confusing. After much gnashing of teeth and inventive language, we got it put together, and decided we would order another one.
Now we’re hoping the girls will like it!
Bob F from Ohio
Not happy with my purchase, cheap and doesn’t fit well together. I should of bought the more expensive version. Box came smashed and beat up.
Josh H from Wisconsin
I recently bought two of these for my laying flock’s winter housing, and so far I’m delighted.
This is a budget option, so it’s perhaps not perfect, but at about *half* the cost of the alternative I think it was well worth a bit of hassle and some rough edges for the amount of savings.
It does take some work to interpret the word-free assembly instructions, but I put the first one together in about an hour, and (once I knew the process) the second one was really easy to build - maybe 15 minutes.
A friend who has them suggested drilling a hole in the bottom of the egg collection area to allow for future rinsing in the event of an egg break - this seems like a good idea.
As noted in a different review, the lid of the collection area flips inward not outward. It’s a bummer, but I find it’s easy to scrape any droppings off the top of the of the lid with a block of wood before opening.
My birds immediately figured out how to use these.
You get what you pay for, but bottom line I’m glad I saved the hundreds of dollars that the fancier nest box might have cost.
Heather R from New York
Having hens that constantly fight over who gets what nest box makes this thing amazing. Now they can pile in and no eggs are getting squished thanks to the roll out feature! Wish I had purchased it sooner!
Molly K from Minnesota
We love them!!! They arrived in a timely manner and were easy to assemble. We have 5 coops and these will be wonderful.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to