Buliding nest boxes, how much is enough???

[invalidsession]

Quote:
Curious behaviour isn't it ? I have 13 BO's and 6 nest boxes, they seem to prefer to roost and crap in 3 of them and lay in the others.

 

[lovemychix]

3 would be plenty. They will still fight over the same one.

 

[Marlinchaser]

I agree with only needing 1 or 2 boxes, that is all 20+ hens think they need, BUT if you have a broody, its nice to have another box to switch her to, I have 6 boxes, usually only 2 get used, but the top 3 are holding broodies right now, so I guess you could say I only have 3 available, but they are all still using the 2

easier to have extra then not enough, plus you'll want to add more hens later, and who knows they might like the box that no one else does.

 

[K-Chick]

I have 8 nests and I was still getting one or two on the floor, so I put a wooden box I had on the floor under the nests open end up and I was having 4 eggs in there every day. So I added another wooden box and now I have about 9 eggs in them every day. It makes me mad, cause not all of them use the nice roll away nests I bought. But I guess its better than having eggs on the floor.

 

[k2chickens]

i have a large run..about 36 sq. ft. But my coop is about 12 sq. ft on the inside as of now. I thought the more boxes i add the better/room'ier the coop will become. I just don't want to cramp my girls. It seems 3 boxes on one side and 3 on the other seem's a tad too much. But i MAY add some more girls by the end of the summer. What do you guy's think??