are there ever "bunkbeds" re: a coop's nesting "stalls"?

[bruceha2000]

I forgot I was going to chime in on the heat thing when I posted so here it is now. My chickens have never had heat after they feathered out and it gets to -20°F every winter at least once. You do not need to heat your chicken coop!

 

[Kat C]

MY BEETOV-HEN, Love the bird!View attachment 1342596Pic, taken today

Nice!

 

[jthornton]

Even in small nest boxes multiple hens will get in the same nest box. This one had 3 piled in together in a crate View attachment 1342273

That doesn't look very comfortable...

JT

 

[wannabe4birds]

Pictures, if it helps.
The old nesting boxes. I trashed these—hard to clean and they became roosts. Yuck.
View attachment 1341021
The new (temporary) nest boxes. I am really enjoying them. The birds like them, they're easy to clean, they don't get slept on, and they don't harbour lice.
View attachment 1341022

Thx, Banty -- this is just too good. One thing I'm learning is that poultry aren't so style-conscious. Thank God .... I hope mine won't expect elegance or haute architecture in their digs next year. They could be in for a big let-down.

 

[BantyChooks]

Thx, Banty -- this is just too good. One thing I'm learning is that poultry aren't so style-conscious. Thank God .... I hope mine won't expect elegance or haute architecture in their digs next year. They could be in for a big let-down.

Haha, nope. My birds had some downright shoddy housing for the first three-and-a-bit years I owned them, and I never once heard a word of complaint. Actually, they seem to target anything new or well made with poo bombs.

 

[bruceha2000]

I hope mine won't expect elegance or haute architecture in their digs next year. They could be in for a big let-down.

They won't know what they are missing as long as you don't give them internet access.

 

[deepbluesea]

I'm in Morehead City and have never had heat in the coop. They all do just fine. The only thing to think about is keeping the water from freezing.

 

[jreardon1918]

7 laying hens. Three side by side nest boxes. They prefer the one nearest the back. Yesterday we got six eggs. All in the back box. The original design had 6 nests. We use 3 for storage.
We are in Massachusetts, no heat in the coop. The key is plenty of ventilation. I am adding some soon.

 

[Kat C]

That doesn't look very comfortable...

JT

not comfortable for the one on the bottom, but they have the option of getting up and moving. Their choice. The one on the bottom had gone broody and that makes a hen ever more determined to stay put. But no chicken was harmed by the event.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

As far as heat goes.... be prepared. I said I would never heat my coop. This last winter the weather was so up and down I got the heat lamp out for super cold nights.
I didn’t think the birds were handling 60* days with below 0* nights. It was just to drastic of a change for my liking. So I put up a heat bulb in a safe brooder light fixture that was screwed to the wall. I used a timer and set it to come on during the coldest hours. That kept the coop at a fairly even temperature.

This was taken today! 4/17/18