Belted Nest Box System vs Modular Nest Boxes: Which Is Right for Your Farm?
Rollaway nests keep eggs clean by rolling them away from the hens as soon as they are laid. We make them in two formats: the belted Rollaway Nest Box System, built for eggmobiles and larger flocks, and the new modular nest boxes, built to fit almost any coop. This guide compares the two so you can pick the right one for your farm.
How the belted nest box system works
The Rollaway Nest Box System is one long, two-sided unit with nests on both sides and a conveyor belt running down the middle. You turn the crank and the eggs come to one collection point. It is sold in 120 cm segments, with 2 to 6 segments per system. The whole unit hangs from a pivot tube under the roof and levels itself after each move, and its tilting floors close the nests at night. For a full walkthrough, see Rollaway Nest Box System for Eggmobiles Explained.
How the modular nest boxes work
The modular nest box is a single, one-sided rollaway nest. It uses the same idea as the belted system: a sloped floor rolls eggs into a protected collection area, and a tilting floor closes the nest at night and cleans itself in the same move. You can tilt it by hand, or upgrade the module to automated tilting. Instead of one long built-in unit, you combine as many modules as your flock needs, with no upper limit. Each module has 0.33 m² of nest floor, enough for about 25 hens in organic systems.
That makes it flexible in ways the belted system isn't:
- Collection on either side. You can assemble a module with the egg collection area on the hens' side, or turn it around so you collect from outside the coop.
- Many ways to mount it. Stand it on a flat surface, fix it to a wall, mount modules back-to-back, or stack them on top of each other.
- Hanging in a mobile coop. With a separately sold hanging bracket, modules hang from the coop and level themselves after each move, just like the belted system.
- Grows with your flock. Add modules any time, or move them to another coop with a little disassembly.
Eggs are collected by hand from each module's collection area. An egg belt that fits the modular nests is planned.
Side by side
| Belted nest box system | Modular nest boxes | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Available now, made to order (about 6 weeks) | Coming soon |
| Layout | One long two-sided unit, central conveyor belt | Single one-sided modules, combined as needed; can be mounted back-to-back for a double-sided system |
| Nest floor per unit | 1 m² per 120 cm segment | 0.33 m² per module |
| Hens per unit (organic / conventional) | about 80 / 120 per segment | about 25 / 40 per module |
| System size | 2 to 6 segments, up to 480 hens (organic) / 720 hens (conventional) | No limit |
| Egg collection | Conveyor brings all eggs to one point | By hand from each module; egg belt planned |
| Collection side | Fixed, at the end of the belt | Hens' side or the opposite side, so you can collect from outside the coop |
| Self-cleaning tilting floors | Yes; manual, can be automated with your own actuators and timers | Yes; manual, upgradeable to automated |
| Mounting | Hangs from a pivot tube under the roof | Flat surface, wall, stacked, back-to-back, or hanging with a bracket (sold separately) |
| Expanding later | Not possible once assembled | Add modules any time |
| Moving to another coop | Not possible once assembled | Yes, with some disassembly |
| Pros | Fastest collection for large flocks; one collection point; proven in eggmobiles | Flexible layout; collect from outside; works in small and stationary coops; no size limit; grows and moves with you |
| Cons | Size fixed once built; needs a frame or ceiling to hang from | More collection points to walk to; egg belt not available yet |
Both systems ship flat-pack; the shipping method depends on quantity. Hen numbers use EU minimum nest space: up to 120 hens per m² of group nest in conventional and free-range systems (Council Directive 1999/74/EC), and 120 cm² per hen in organic systems (Regulation (EU) 2020/464). National rules and some organic certifiers are stricter.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the belted Rollaway Nest Box System if:
- you are building or upgrading an eggmobile with a frame or roof to hang it from
- your flock is between about 160 and 720 hens and its size won't change much
- you want every egg delivered to one collection point
- you need nests now
Choose the modular nest boxes if:
- you keep hens in a stationary or smaller coop, or want to mount nests on a wall or floor
- you want to collect eggs from outside the coop
- your flock will grow, or you want to move nests between coops
- you can wait for the launch
Related: Why Pastured Poultry Makes a Good First Enterprise
FAQ
Do both systems keep the nests clean?
Yes. Both use tilting floors that close the nests at night and shake off loose dirt, feathers and droppings every day. If an egg breaks, the residue still needs cleaning by hand.
Can the tilting floors be automated?
Yes, on both. The belted system can be fitted with your own actuators, timers and control electronics. The modular nests work by hand and can be upgraded to automated tilting.
Can I add segments to the belted system later?
No. Once it is assembled, the length is fixed. Size it for your final flock using 1 m² of nest floor per segment and your local rules.
Can the modular nests be used in an eggmobile?
Yes. There are several ways to fit them, depending on your mobile coop design.
Will the modular nests get an egg belt?
Yes, an egg belt for the modular nests is planned.
When will the modular nest boxes be available?
Soon. Contact us if you want to hear when they launch.