Communal Nest Boxes

[enyenhuis]

What do you think of having one large area for nesting instead of 4 individual boxes. Also thinking about having nesting area outside as here in florida we are having over 90 degree days. Looking for a way to keep my girls happy and working.

Our girls will be starting to lay soon, in a few weeks, and we need to find some way to make a great place for them.

Help!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

What do you think of having one large area for nesting instead of 4 individual boxes. Also thinking about having nesting area outside as here in florida we are having over 90 degree days. Looking for a way to keep my girls happy and working.

Our girls will be starting to lay soon, in a few weeks, and we need to find some way to make a great place for them.

Help!

A communal nest is acceptable for laying eggs, that is if your intent is to eat those eggs. However if your intent is to hatch chicks then individual nests that are moveable as a unit, covered, that are dark, secluded, and that can be closed off is better.

Otherwise small, individual nests are best. and your chickens will make that abundantly clear to you by only choosing small, secluded areas to lay regardless of the open spaces that they have available in which to lay.

 

[Wise Woman]

We used to have 6 individual nest boxes. We now have two large communal nest boxes. They are fine with it and only ever used 2 of the 6 nest boxes anyway. We don't hatch any eggs, so this works out well for us. We we moved to this coop, they didn't want to go in the new nest boxes, so I put up the curtains and they have been fine ever since. HTHs.