adding nest boxes w/ outside access to an existing coop?

gale65

Songster
9 Years
Aug 19, 2010
1,875
36
161
north central indiana
My Coop
My Coop
how much trouble will this be? Does anyone have any examples? Our coop has nest boxes but they are too small (probably 9 or 10" square) and possibly too high up. We were only able to put the roost about 6" above the boxes (if that) in order for them to have enough head room (this was a premade coop). If we have to make them bigger anyway, I'd rather make them lower at the same time but since our coop is so small and short I want to be able to collect eggs without going inside it. My coop is on my blog post here, including inside pics:
http://lookslikechickenscratch.blogspot.com/2011/06/coop-before-and-after.html

eta: the existing roost sticks (which are shown in the before pics) are gone-they were probably just below the height of the nest boxes. We put a new 2 x 4 roost in above where that one was.
 
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Your nest boxes don't look too small or too high. Are you sure they won't use them as is? I'd put some shavings in them and see what your girls think before changing them.
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The Chickens for Dummies book says they need to be at least 12 and better if they're 14 or 16. I'm not sure that heavy layers would even be able to turn around in these. Would it work if we just removed the dividers (there are 4 this size) to make 2 longer ones? Right now we have the nest boxes blocked because the chicks were roosting in them (we didn't have a roost then). DH put a roost in and some are getting on it during the day.
 
Yes, I'd definitely try repositioning the dividers to make the boxes larger. I have very large chickens and you'd be surprised where they squeeze into to lay! I'd want them to be comfortable though, instead of cramped...specially if they go broody and you have to reach in there with them.
I've got one coop with single nest boxes on each side, one with 3 nest boxes each side and a new coop with 3 on each side but they look smaller because he lowered the nest boxes on that coop...now that you mentioned they should be 12 to 14 inches I'll have to go measure and see if I will have to readjust my new coop's nest box dividers too!

I just put my newest chicks in there and they've not even discovered them yet, so I've still got time LOL!
 

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