My chickens and nest boxes :)

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

I made a slide chart of my chicken broods' ages. I realized I enthusiastically over estimated some of their ages. Anywho, we put three nesting boxes in the coop and it's too soon. The oldest set that I have affectionately known as Brood No. 1 are only 17 weeks, duh. According to my reading they won't need nesting boxes until they are 20 weeks old. Oh well, I'm leavin' 'em in there. Brood No. 1 consists of four Ameraucana and four Buff Orpingtons, btw. I can use the time to think about curtains for their boxes.

 

[aart]

IMO, chickens have no need for curtains....it's more for the keepers need to 'decorate'.

 

[Callender Girl]

While I understand why chickens might enjoy the privacy of having curtains, I can't imagine how dusty and dirty those would become. Maybe my chickens are just slobs? I have a tarp that I use in my avatar coop as a poop hammock, and it benefits greatly from being hosed off, so maybe if curtains were made of something similar?

PBS used to broadcast a show with a famous chicken keeper whose coops were always spotless, including the fabric curtains for her nest boxes. I always wondered what the coops looked like when the cameras weren't running.

I wouldn't be concerned about having nest boxes "too early." I've always put my youngsters into coops with boxes already installed. I usually put in fake eggs to encourage them to use the boxes for good (laying), not (evil) sleeping and pooping.

Good luck with your girls!

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not sure how the hens need privacy in a nest box view came about. Security certainly but the privacy business is a human notion.
The most popular nest box I've built is shown in the picture below. I had queues of hens waiting to use this nest box in my house with hens sitting and hatching their chicks in it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

While I understand why chickens might enjoy the privacy of having curtains, I can't imagine how dusty and dirty those would become. Maybe my chickens are just slobs? I have a tarp that I use in my avatar coop as a poop hammock, and it benefits greatly from being hosed off, so maybe if curtains were made of something similar?

PBS used to broadcast a show with a famous chicken keeper whose coops were always spotless, including the fabric curtains for her nest boxes. I always wondered what the coops looked like when the cameras weren't running.

I wouldn't be concerned about having nest boxes "too early." I've always put my youngsters into coops with boxes already installed. I usually put in fake eggs to encourage them to use the boxes for good (laying), not (evil) sleeping and pooping.

Good luck with your girls!

X2 to everything you say here!

I had curtains in my first coop. They stayed relatively clean, much to my surprise, but I only had 4 hens in an oversized coop. I now have 15 hens. And you have even more. The dust my girls kick up is unreal.

I might consider curtains again depending on the type of nest boxes. Moat folks have the boxes built into the sides of their coops and open from the outside. I don't think curtains are beneficial for those as they are closed in with walls and a low "ceiling." If I had nesting boxes that were more open, like a box on the coop floor or something similar, I might rig curtains. Just kinda depends.

I have those plastic nesting boxes that attach to the coop wall. No need for curtains now, but the girls prefer the box that gets no direct sunlight in the morning, so I do believe they want some privacy or at least some darkness. Curtains might help with that.

 

[K0k0shka]

A hen is vulnerable while sitting in the nest, especially because in the context of wild chickens, the rooster/flock wouldn't be there with her to protect her - she'd wander off and hide in the bushes to lay, and then rejoin the flock when done. So she has an instinct to want to seek out a hidden spot somewhere, where she can feel safe. Hence the need for "privacy" - she just wants to hide, and curtains might provide an extra feeling of safety. That being said, those instincts are old and most chickens nowadays don't lay their eggs out in the open jungle. The coop itself might satisfy the need for a secure hiding spot, and once in there, the hen may not care about the extra layer of security of an enclosed/curtained box. And if you want to give her the extra layer of security, you can achieve the same result by making the entry hole into the box smaller, so it's not the whole side of the box that's open.

 

[Iluveggers]

I'm not sure how the hens need privacy in a nest box view came about. Security certainly but the privacy business is a human notion.
The most popular nest box I've built is shown in the picture below. I had queues of hens waiting to use this nest box in my house with hens sitting and hatching their chicks in it.
View attachment 3304668

My nest boxes don’t have tops…look similar to that @Shadrach DH says he will put a slanted top over if they don’t use the boxes, but leave them for now until we start getting eggs. Your pic gives me hope I won’t have to add anything to the coop!

 

[K0k0shka]

My nest boxes don’t have tops…look similar to that @Shadrach DH says he will put a slanted top over if they don’t use the boxes, but leave them for now until we start getting eggs. Your pic gives me hope I won’t have to add anything to the coop!

My boxes have a top that can open, for easier access (especially to take chickens out if I don't want them brooding). In the summer, I leave it permanently open to get some air in there, because everything gets so hot. The hens don't seem to mind at all, they still use the boxes just fine even without a top.

 

[Ridgerunner]

we put three nesting boxes in the coop and it's too soon. The oldest set that I have affectionately known as Brood No. 1 are only 17 weeks, duh. According to my reading they won't need nesting boxes until they are 20 weeks old.

Chickens can't read and they don't really care what you read. I've had similar breeds start laying as early as 16 weeks. A Buff Orp started at 18 weeks. Some don't start until months later. I sometimes wonder if people that write things like "they won't need nesting boxes until they are 20 weeks old" have ever had Buff Orps or know how to read a calendar.

Oh well, I'm leavin' 'em in there.

Excellent. That way the nests will be there when they start to lay. That does not guarantee that they will use those nests, but at least you won't teach them to lay somewhere else because the nests were not available when they needed them. And if you run into problems with those nests, like maybe they want to sleep in those nests, you can fix the problem before they start laying.

I can use the time to think about curtains for their boxes.

I agree they should not need curtains and the way some people write about curtains on the forum you may get the impression you need them. You can get a lot of misunderstanding on this forum on several topics. Some of us will try to help you understand need versus something else.

If you want to put curtains on the nests then put curtains on the nests. It doesn't matter if they need them or not. They are your nests and if you want curtains they are your nests. You don't have to decorate your coop to look like a field of sunflowers or turn it into a fairytale castle. They can look awesome when you do but it's not really needed. They don't necessarily need all the toys people give them but if it makes you feel better about giving them toys, go for it. (I'm not talking about clutter, that's something different). There are a lot of things you read on here that sound like you have to do it but you really don't.

As for the requirements for nests, Dad had 7 nests that looked similar to Shad's nest lined up in his hen house. Totally open topped and fairly light. My nests are cubes with an opening on the front and fairy dark. Growing up on the farm I'd find some nests in the hay loft way back in tiny really dark holes. I'd find nests pretty much in the open. Most were kind of hidden but they'd hide them in all kinds of different places. Some actually looked pretty open to me. As far as I'm concerned there are no hard and fast rules that you have to follow or they won't use them. I've know hens that would disagree with any of those rules.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm not sure how the hens need privacy in a nest box view came about. Security certainly but the privacy business is a human notion.
The most popular nest box I've built is shown in the picture below. I had queues of hens waiting to use this nest box in my house with hens sitting and hatching their chicks in it.
View attachment 3304668

Then there must be another reason my girls like that dark box. Who knows? Chickens... Smh...