How many nesting boxes per hen?

[aggiemae]

I have a 11 new girls...not laying age yet. We have 6 boxes and in the past, my girls used most all the boxes. No dog piling here....lol! They each like their own box and if they see one is full, they look for an empty one. Makes good chicken sense...LOL! I guess it just depends on your hens.

Nice looking hens!

Your hens are using the nest boxes as roosts. Something I would discourage since dwelling in the boxes will result in pooped on and/or crack the eggs once they begin laying.

 

[Cherie1425]

I currently have 25 laying hens with 12 boxes available, but one hen likes the 5 gallon bucket on the floor as her nest. We have 2 broody hens right now that get chased out for a little bit of time so the ones laying can lay then they back in and fix the location of the eggs. I am adding another 25 chick's over this summer so I add more boxes for the incoming layers?

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

at the moment i have about 25 hens not all are laying yet, but the have 6 nest boxes but they only use like two!

 

[Bnemi]

I'm new to this site...what is a DH?

 

[Clarabell]

I also have 3 hens with 2 nesting boxes. Two of them are using the a nest box each and the other one is making her own nest on the floor in a corner. How big is your coop? I'm aftaid mine might be too big for them to keep warm this winter. My coop is 8x12. I have a space heater in it but don't really want to use it. Thanks.

 

[tcstoehr]

I'm new to this site...what is a DH?

I believe it means "dear husband". In my experience it has a somewhat sarcastic and at the same time sincere sort of meaning.

 

[Clarabell]

I think it mean Designated Hitter.

 

[frizzylizzy2003]

I have 3 boxes and 3 hens, they all lay in one box, the same box.

I have read up on this the last couple of days. for larger breed birds a box of 12 x 14 x14 and at least 2 for 6 chickens.
I have been reading up on chickens for quit some time to learn as much as possible. Yes I am a newbie to raising chickens.

i have been reading up on it for awhile to but i still needed an answer

 

[clwscott]

We have a 15 -holes nest box that we bought from a neighbor, for a flock of 12 hens (& 1 roo). They only use 3 or 4 of the holes.

 

[Mr D]

I think no more than one box per 3 hens would be good with some fake eggs kept in the box to encourage laying. I've heard tat good nesting box sizes are 12'' L x 12" W x 9" H to prevent the Mama Hen from cracking the eggs, pooping on the eggs, and or bringing outside material into the box.