Chickens to nesting boxes ratio

[K0k0shka]

I know the recommendations are something like 3-5 hens per box, and that they tend to have favorite boxes and will all lay there even if you give them lots of extras... And at 2 boxes for 5 pullets, I should be fine... but I’m starting to wonder if I might need to add more. Two of my pullets started laying a few weeks ago, and when they do, it’s a big deal. It’s a flock-wide event and they all gather to watch the layer and cheer her on. The two layers like to lay at the same time, taking up both nests, and the rest stand in front of them and look on, providing commentary along the way. So what happens when all 5 start laying? Will they all be crammed in there on top of each other? The size of the boxes is as recommended - 12x12 inches and about 18” tall... I don’t know how many chickens will fit in each. Do I need to add more boxes? Or will the chickens wait their turn?

 

[hysop]

They will just end up waiting their turn even if there are more. Chickens are silly. I love your nesting boxes

 

[humblehillsfarm]

You'll be fine with two. At most I've had 10 active layers and they've only ever used one or two of the five nest boxes.

 

[K0k0shka]

Oh my goodness what a gorgeous little coop! Simply adorable! What breed are those beautiful penciled feather hens? Would like to get a couple of those for sure!

Aww thank you! They are Double Silver Laced Barnevelders. I got them from Blue House Farm, NC (I had hatching eggs shipped to me). Here are a couple glamor shots of the two

 

[CHlCKEN]

Thought it said “nest box radio” and I thought “ooo! What music do they like?”

 

[HappyDuckie]

I have 3 boxes to 19 girls. The previous owner of the coop had 30 hens with the same three boxes, and they did fine too.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have 7 boxes, 4 your size (plus an inch or three), three larger. I have, in theory, 20+ layers at this point.

Not uncommon to find three eggs in the first box, skip a box, 2 in the next (the one between boxes 1 & 3 is identical to boxes 1 & 3...), 1 in the next, 0, 2, 1. The last four boxes are also identical to one another. They will wait for their favorite boxes, till they can wait no more.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You will be fine with two nests and five hens. All the chickens don't always lay at the same time. For various reasons most are laid in the morning but I still get eggs in the afternoon. So they are usually spread out some. Most of mine finish in about a half hour but I had one that took 3 hours to lay her egg and leave he nest.

My nests are bigger than yours, 16" x 16". It is fairly common to find 3 hens in one nest at the same time. They don't always wait if the nest has a hen on it, mine often lay together. I've seen photos on here with two hens in a nest together where the nest was the size of yours. I remember one photo where the nest was so small one hen was sitting entirely on top of another. This is one reason when you have a broody hen hatching with the flock you mark the eggs and remove any that don't belong after the hens have laid for the day. Hens will often join a broody hen on her nest and lay an egg.

The hen above that took three hours was a nest hog. She would not share her nest with another hen, a pain. So yeah, they don't always share. When it came time to decide which hens needed to be replaced by new pullets, I felt that the nest hog hen had volunteered her spot in the flock.

The bigger the nest the more hens it can handle. My 16" nests can handle more than your 12" nests. There is a special nest design called a community nest that is 24" x 48" that can handle 24 laying hens. They don't work well for broody hens but i believe Joel Salatin used them for his laying hens, or at least used to.

 

[K0k0shka]

LOVELY girls! I just adore Barneys!

Thanks! I love them, too. They remind me of Eastern European Easter eggs, the kind you draw intricate patterns on with wax.

 

[K0k0shka]

Wow your right! I’ve always wanted to add on of those double-laced chickens to my flock. they are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever laid eyes on!!,

They are quite something! Another double laced variety I love is partridge. I REALLY wanted some partridge Orpingtons and ordered 6 eggs last spring, but only one hatched and he turned out to be a boy, and boys don’t have the lacing, so that was quite disappointing. I want to try again next spring. This is what the girls look like: