If you are looking for a solution to broken, dirty eggs, I highly recommend the HenGear Rollout Nest Box. Keep reading for my honest review plus a way to save $15 on your own nest box from HenGear!
This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission if you choose to order through the links below at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business!
Why We Got a HenGear Rollout Nest Box
This summer, our main homestead project has been converting our old shed into a large chicken coop/garden/tool shed combo!
This required a lot of demolition, including taking down our old coop. While our chickens love having more space, we needed to find a solution to them laying in random, hard-to-find spots in the coop and our yard.
I heard about HenGear’s Rollout Nest Boxes a while ago, and I was impressed by their ability to keep laid eggs separate from the chickens in the coop. In our previous coop, we had issues with our chickens pooping on their eggs which made them really dirty, or worse—breaking them which often led to ruining other eggs that day, too!
Why This Nest Box is Different
There are a lot of different options for chicken nesting boxes. You could build or buy a traditional nesting box. Some also people make DIY nesting boxes.
However, many of these options can be problematic because if you aren’t able to collect your eggs immediately after they are laid, your chickens may break them or poop on them which leads to unnecessary egg loss.
HenGear’s Rollout Nest Box is perfect for keeping eggs safe and in-tact due to its ingenious design. After a chicken lays an egg, it rolls out to the collection box and can no longer be trampled on by chickens in your coop.
About HenGear
HenGear originated from Seven Sons Farms, which was founded by Lee and Beth Hitzfield and their seven sons.
According to HenGear’s website, this Roanoke, IN farm’s mission is: “to cultivate nutrient-dense foods that replenish the land and sustain those who enjoy its abundance.”
On their farm, they raise pasture laying hens, pastured pork, grass-fed beef, bison, and more.
In 2011, some of the brothers developed a nesting box prototype to keep eggs both safe and clean. This led to the development of the HenGear Rollout Nest Box.
HenGear Rollout Nest Box Size Options
Hengear offers four different size options to best suit the needs of your flock.
Small
This nest box is 24″ long and is best for up to 20 hens.
Medium
This nest box is 34″ long and is best for for up to 32 hens.
Large
This nest box is 54″ long and is best for up to 52 hens.
Extra-Large
This nest box is 72″ long and is best for up to 75 hens.
Use my code THEMILLERACRES15 to save $15 on all HenGear Rollout Nest Boxes!
I have the size medium and it has provided more than enough space for our flock!
HenGear Rollout Nest Box Features
HenGear’s founders really thought through common problems that chicken keepers face, and they designed their rollout nest boxes accordingly! Here are some of the innovative features of these nesting boxes:
- Reversible Design: The egg collection tray can be set up on the front or rear side depending on your preference.
- Hinged Back: This feature allows you to collect eggs without worrying about your hens escaping the coop.
- Extended Pad: Each nesting box comes with an easy-to-clean brown nesting pad that resembles straw. It keeps your eggs safe and clean while still providing a comfortable spot for your hens to lay.
- Roost Bar: This bar helps your hens get into their nesting box. You can raise it at night to discourage them from sleeping inside of the nesting box.
- Tray Curtain: The fringed, black tray curtain keeps hens from accessing the eggs that have rolled out.
- Privacy Curtain: Hens are attracted to the color red, so this curtain provides privacy while still encouraging the hens to lay inside the nesting box.
HenGear Rollout Nest Box Pros
One of the main pros to the HenGear Rollout Nest Box is the fact that it can help prevent egg loss due to breakage or spoilage. I also love that it comes in several different size options for your flock.
These rollout nesting boxes are easy to clean due to their design. You can install them on a lot of different types of coops, including moveable coops like this for pasture-raised chickens.
As mentioned above, these nest boxes are reversible and can be set up with the rollout tray on the same or opposite side as the nesting box. The box has several features to deter predators such as the locks on the rollout tray, small entrance, and moveable roost bar.
This rollout nest box was designed by experienced chicken farmers who thought about conveniences not only for the chickens but also for the chicken keepers. These nesting boxes are specifically designed to encourage chickens to lay. They protect their eggs, and they are convenient and easy-to-clean for chicken owners.
HenGear Rollout Nest Box Cons
While there are a lot of pros to these incredible nesting boxes, there are a few cons to consider. For one, these nesting boxes are currently only available in stainless steel with red flaps. The red encourages the hens to enter the nesting box, but if you want a nesting box that matches your coop, this might be something to consider.
We opted to keep our nesting box inside of our coop/garden shed so this was not an issue for us! Even though there aren’t a lot of color options, the stainless steel goes with most coop designs!
Set Up Suggestions
My husband assembled our HenGear Rollout Nest Box in one evening. He said that the assembly wasn’t too difficult; however, the instructions were missing some of the steps which made the set up take longer.
He thinks that HenGear may have previously shipped their nesting boxes partially assembled and that the instructions just haven’t been updated.
Just read the instructions carefully and you may have to assemble a small part of it without the manual!
Installation Options for the HenGear Rollout Nest Box
There are two separate ways to set up your nesting box. We decided to go with the rear-facing option because of how our coop is designed.
I wanted to keep the nesting box inside of our shed to ensure extra protection because we do have predators like raccoons; however, I didn’t want to have to walk all the way inside of the coop to collect the eggs. So, our collection tray is set up to be accessible from the shed-side of our coop as pictured.
When choosing which option to go with, consider the setup of your coop, predators, and what will be the most convenient for you long-term.
My husband also added a support beam for the nesting box on the interior side. This helped get it to the right angle and made it even more stable for our chickens.
Tips for Getting Your Hens to Use Their Nest Box
We went about a month and a half without a nesting box after taking down our old coop. Some of our chickens laid directly in the hay in their coop; however, many of them figured out how to escape their fence and started laying all over our yard.
We found some of the eggs, but many of them are yet to be found! Because of this, it took some time before our hens got used to having a nesting box again.
HenGear offers some advice for how to help your hens adjust to their new nesting box. Here were some of the options that we found most effective:
- Keep the hens in their coop for a few extra hours for a week or two after installing the nesting box to encourage them to lay in their coop.
- Lower the nesting box to the coop floor or just a few inches off of the ground before fully installing it higher up.
- Tape up the red curtains for about 2 weeks.
- Add some straw or shavings to the nesting box to encourage them to lay inside of it.
- Put fake eggs like these in the nesting box to encourage them to lay.
HenGear recommends trying these tips for 2 weeks. Then, take an additional week to remove the straw, lower the curtains, and raise the nesting box up.
Nest Box Accessories
HenGear offers a variety of nest-box accessories. Some of them include an automated system to open your nesting box, a solar powered opener, heat mats to prevent frozen eggs, egg trays, crates, and baskets, and trainer eggs.
Shop HenGear Nest Box Accessories Here
Why This HenGear Rollout Nest Box is Worth It
Prior to installing our HenGear Rollout Nest Box, we lost a lot of eggs. Some of them got squished and broken, which in turn ruined many of the others by getting yoke on them. Our eggs were also more likely to be dirty because of them being in a place where chickens could access them after laying on them.
Roll-out nesting boxes are an investment; however, they ensure cleaner eggs, less breakage, and less mess overall! Another benefit is that they do not require building an entire nesting box—you just have to assemble the pieces!
These nesting boxes are an investment that will pay off over time due to less eggs lost due to mess and breakage!
Ways to Save on a HenGear Rollout Nest Box
Want to save on a HenGear Rollout Nest Box? Use my code THEMILLERACRES15 to save $15!
Less Egg Waste and Happy Chickens
One of the greatest benefits to raising backyard chickens is having farm-fresh eggs every day. However, it can be discouraging when a lot of your eggs break or are constantly getting dirty. HenGear’s Rollout Nest Box is an ingenious solution that will help you have lots of farm fresh eggs with very little lost eggs!
Will these prevent rats from eating the eggs?
We haven’t had issues with rats getting the egss. I think the metal design helps make it difficult to climb. However, I am not sure that it is 100 percent rodent proof, it might depend on if you have a ladder leading up to it or not. Hope this helps!