Communal Nest Boxes

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orchidchick

orchidchick

Songster
14 Years
Mar 23, 2008
218
4
229
south florida
Have any of you used or had success with shared nest boxes (without dividers)? I have a long one that will be an add on to the coop now that I'll be adding a few more and in the interest of keeping it cooler I was entertaining the idea of leaving it open.

Wasn't sure if they'd treat it as one and still wait....or pile in next to each other. I know the sex links don't have a tendency to get broody, but one is a barred rock. And I guess I am just trying to anticipate. It's 30' long so not quite long enough for 3 divisions.

Thanks for your insight!

Orchidchick
 
From what I have learned on this forum, they like a little privacy. They might appreciate some dividers. Mine aren't laying yet, though they are old enough.
 
Thanks, Bluie.

I thought of that too but what they use now affords them no privacy whatsoever so it's not something they are used to. I'll see if I still have a pic of their current box.

IMG_0020.jpg



I'll cut a hole in that back wall and the new box will run the length of the wall under the window. It will be for what I though was 7 hens total. It looks like I have a roo in there tho!

Orchidchick
 
Quote:
30" ???
lau.gif

I was wondering if maybe you should be on the BYO(Back Yard Ostriches) site.

I would say to divide it in 2, depending on how many layers you have, it may not be necessary. Some will pile into a 12 inch wide box if that is the box they MUST have. Or you could divide it into three, mine seem to want to squeeze into the tightest box whether it is occupied at the time or not.
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Ostriches, you say??? now you got me thinking.....

Maybe without the dividers that will eliminate all that "complaining" I hear every morning as they wait their turn!

They do follow the golf balls tho. When one of the hens was on lockdown in a dog crate that actually fit in there, I put that little nest box on top of it, unsecured, and that where the other two layed for the duration.

Thanks for the insights,
Orchidchick
 
I have a 23" box that my 4 girls share. The space just wasn't quite big enough for 2 boxes. It's totally open/exposed but so far no problems. I have found that they will squish in there together... and have never found an egg on the floor...

IMG_3008.jpg
 
I went to a communal nesting area last year and it's worked really well. The last chickens I raised turned out to be really broody. We were having a lot of tiffs over broodies hogging a favorite nest box, while others needed to lay eggs. When we'd take the broody/broodies out each day for food, water and a nasty old broody-poo, the whole flock would be fussy with each other. After we went to a communal nesting area, they started getting along again.

If they all want to use the same box, anyway, I figure I might as well make it a big one!
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