Are these nesting boxes cozy enough?

[Zud]

Yesterday our Black Australorp, Emily Chickenson, became the first of our 5 hens to lay, but she did it from the roost mid afternoon. Luckily we'd decided against a droppings board and it landed safely in the bedding on the floor.

Today we took the roosts out in the afternoon but Emily seemed really distraught trying to find a place to settle in. She kept hopping in and out of the boxes, then frantically running around the run and digging at corners of the hen house.
*Important note: I hadn't gotten to putting the "roof" over the boxes at this point*
After a long while of this, we found a piece of scrap ply and leaned it over the quietest box and she settled in pretty quickly and eventually did her thing.

This ordeal prompted me to get in there and put the top over the boxes immediately, but now I'm more concerned with the conditions of the nest box than I had been previously. Do these seem cozy enough? The vertical opening is 12", for context. (We'll find out for sure tomorrow, I guess)

Thanks!

 

[Shadrach]

Yesterday our Black Australorp, Emily Chickenson, became the first of our 5 hens to lay, but she did it from the roost mid afternoon. Luckily we'd decided against a droppings board and it landed safely in the bedding on the floor.

Today we took the roosts out in the afternoon but Emily seemed really distraught trying to find a place to settle in. She kept hopping in and out of the boxes, then frantically running around the run and digging at corners of the hen house.
*Important note: I hadn't gotten to putting the "roof" over the boxes at this point*
After a long while of this, we found a piece of scrap ply and leaned it over the quietest box and she settled in pretty quickly and eventually did her thing.

This ordeal prompted me to get in there and put the top over the boxes immediately, but now I'm more concerned with the conditions of the nest box than I had been previously. Do these seem cozy enough? The vertical opening is 12", for context. (We'll find out for sure tomorrow, I guess)

Thanks!

Italian roofing no less. How could the hens refuse that!
There are two types of nest box. There are nest boxes that are okay for laying eggs in and nest boxes more suited to sitting and hatching in. Those look fine for egg laying but I would increase the height of the front to help contain the bedding.

 

[Zud]

The angle is a little deceiving. There's about a 3 inch lip there, and the boxes are tilted gently back towards the wall, but you're right, another inch or two couldn't hurt.

Laying only, no roos here!

Grazi!

 

[DobieLover]

no roos here!

How sad for you... And the hens.

 

[Zud]

How sad for you... And the hens.

It's the law here in NYC.

 

[Jalloway]

No matter how many you build, don’t be surprised if everyone fights over one or two I’m pretty sure one of mine doesn’t get used

 

[aart]

Do these seem cozy enough? The vertical opening is 12", for context. (We'll find out for sure tomorrow, I guess)

They look fine.
It can take awhile for new layer to settle down.
Put one fake egg, or golf ball, in each nest.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

How sad for you... And the hens.

It's not always a sad thing. I had a Rooster named ShitHead. He's gone to Rooster heaven and everyone here is happy. The End.

 

[Zud]

They look fine.
It can take awhile for new layer to settle down.
Put one fake egg, or golf ball, in each nest.

We have ping pong balls in there, usually. The girls kick them into the run... They've gotten pretty good at soccer with them.

 

[aart]

We have ping pong balls in there, usually. The girls kick them into the run... They've gotten pretty good at soccer with them.

Need something heavier