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Free-Range Nesting Box (Single)

A single-hole chicken nesting box built from a 1x12 and cedar fence pickets. A one-afternoon coop upgrade from cheap, rot-resistant stock.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L	Material	✓
Sides Longest-point measurement; one end cut at 20° off square for the roof slope.	2	3/4" × 11 1/4" × 16 1/2"	1x12	☐
Floor Can be raised for a deeper straw bed.	1	3/4" × 11 1/4" × 12"	1x12	☐
Top supports	2	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 12"	1x2	☐
Front / back wall boards	4	5/8" × 5 1/2" × 13 1/2"	Cedar fence picket	☐
Roof boards	3	5/8" × 5 1/2" × 15 1/2"	Cedar fence picket	☐

Item	Qty	✓
1x12, 4 ft (Pine or Cedar) Sides and floor. Cedar lasts longer outdoors if you can get it.	1 each	☐
Cedar fence pickets, 72" (Western Red Cedar) Nominally 5-1/2" wide and about 5/8" thick. Walls and roof.	2 each	☐
1x2, 2 ft (Pine or Cedar) Top supports.	1 each	☐
Exterior wood screws, 2" Self-tapping, exterior-rated — plain steel rusts and stains in a coop.	1 box	☐

Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.

Circular Saw
Or a miter saw. The one angled cut is the side-piece top at 20°.
Drill / Driver
Drill Bit Set
A countersink bit keeps the exterior screws flush and splits the cedar less.
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Speed Square
Tape Measure
Hearing Protection — optional
Random Orbit Sander — optional

1. Assemble the box frame
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Speed Square. Materials: 1x12, 4 ft, Exterior wood screws, 2"
Put the box together with just 2" exterior screws and a countersink bit — the two angled sides, the floor between them, keeping everything square. You can raise the floor higher inside the sides if you want room for a deeper bed of straw.
2. Add the top supports
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x2, 2 ft, Exterior wood screws, 2"
Add the 1x2 top supports across the top of the box. These give the roof boards something to land on and stiffen the assembly.
3. Add the wall pickets
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set. Materials: Cedar fence pickets, 72", Exterior wood screws, 2"
Screw the cedar fence pickets onto the back and front. A scrap 1x4 works fine for the front if you have one, but since you'll have picket offcuts anyway, the plan just uses those.
4. Lap the roof boards
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Cedar fence pickets, 72", Exterior wood screws, 2"
Dry-fit the roof boards on top first. When you're happy with the layout, fasten them starting at the bottom and working up so each board laps over the one below — that overlap is what sheds rain. That's it.