Homestead Essentials Deluxe Metal 4 Compartment Forward Rollout Hen and Chicken Nesting Box Review (2026)

Who this nesting box is for

Homestead Essentials builds this as a 4 compartment roll-away box measuring about 41.37 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 18 inches high, sized to serve up to 20 hens at roughly 5 birds sharing each compartment. That makes it a good match for a medium backyard flock housed in a coop with enough wall or floor space for its footprint, rather than a tiny starter coop with only a handful of hens. Keepers currently using cardboard boxes or milk crates as makeshift nests, and looking for something purpose-built and washable, are the clearest upgrade case here, especially once egg breakage or dirty eggs from a messy nest become a regular annoyance.

Materials and the rollout mechanism

The outer panels and roof are galvanized steel for durability, while the individual laying trays inside are polypropylene plastic, which the manufacturer notes is rust-proof, rot-proof, and includes a ventilation grid to help keep the nesting material dry. Each tray has a slight forward slope so eggs laid on it roll gently away from the hen into a protected collection area at the front, keeping them out of reach of pecking, scratching feet, and accidental breakage. A no-perch roof design discourages birds from roosting on top of the unit and fouling it with droppings that would otherwise land on the panels below.

Setup, cleaning and daily use

Assembly hardware and instructions are included, and the box is meant to be mounted to a wall or coop frame rather than sit loose on the ground. A universal collection lid on the front lets you gather eggs from all four compartments in one pass rather than opening each nest separately, which saves real time on a large flock's daily egg run. Because the trays are removable, cleaning is a matter of pulling them out, hosing off droppings and old bedding, and letting them dry before adding fresh nesting material back in, which is considerably easier than scrubbing a fixed wooden nest box built into the coop wall.

A build note worth flagging

The listing describes this as a deluxe metal nesting box, which is accurate for the frame and roof, but the trays hens actually lay on are polypropylene plastic rather than metal. That is worth knowing if you were expecting an all-metal interior, since plastic trays can feel cooler underfoot than a padded wooden or metal floor, especially without a liner or nesting pad added on top. It is not a flaw so much as a mixed-material design, and most keepers address it the same way regardless of nest box brand, by adding a liner or a layer of shavings on top of the tray before hens start laying.

Verdict and how it compares

Against the KERTY 4 compartment box, which also includes a perch and auto collection feature, this Homestead Essentials unit focuses more on rollaway protection and easy-clean trays, matching our score of 8.6 out of 10 driven by strong marks for fit and build. Flocks under a dozen hens may not need all four compartments and could save money with a smaller 2 or 3 compartment box, while larger flocks approaching 20 birds are the sweet spot this size was designed around, especially where wall or frame space allows for the full footprint.

Frequently asked questions