Can chickens share nesting boxes?

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so if a chicken goes broody and i want it to hatch chicks should i make another pen or area for it and move it in there?
will moving it stop it from being broody?
sorry if these are very noob like questions, i just want to make sure i have everything they will need.

Some people leave their broody hens in the nesting box and the eggs hatch in the nesting box and others move their broody hens. I think it's a personal choice and it depends if that broody hen will not be harassed by others and then once the babies are hatched, will the babies be safe. As for myself, I have to move my broody hens to specially designed brooders. I never leave a broody hen in the chicken house. I have too many chickens and the other chickens will continue to climb in the nesting box where that hen is and continue to lay eggs. It's a headache for me.

It's best to move your hen at night. She mostly likely will not stop "being broody". Make sure you have your brooder where you want her already prepared with food and water, so that it will be a quick move with no problems. I always prepare the nest first (with hay) move the eggs next. Then I get her, place a towel over her and gently walk to the brooders and set her on her eggs.

Here is a pic of some of my outside brooders where I move my girls to.

YES

WOW
Thanks everyone for all your information and pictures it was greatly appreciated!! :]
I think i have a plan now

will the hens lay less eggs if they don't have their own laying box

jessupbeeler said:

will the hens lay less eggs if they don't have their own laying box

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No, they actually prefer to share nest boxes. In my coop, I have a 3-nest box on one side of the coop, and an 8-nest box on the other side. Until I sectioned it off the other day, the majority of my 16 hens laid in the 3-nest box. Now that they have to use the other one, they all pretty much lay in the same nest of the 8-nest box. I have seen them climbing in on top of each other to lay in the preferred box.

that's good to hear. I am getting 8 hens and I only have 4 nest boxes

jessupbeeler said:

that's good to hear. I am getting 8 hens and I only have 4 nest boxes

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You'll most likely find that they will all use the same box.

kuntrygirl said:

Here is a pic of some of my outside brooders where I move my girls to.

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i see baby chicks on the ground, under your brood boxes (very nice!) and wondered how they transitioned from the boxes after hatching. it looks like you have a new chick area on the ground. also, i don't see bedding in the box that's open - is that because chicks have hatched and now you will repurpose it for future broody hens?