Community Nesting Boxes vs. Single Nesting Boxes

[Troyerchicks]

Project this week is to build nesting boxes for our 6 hens (4 buff orps and 2 bantam cochins). I like the idea of community nesting boxes but was wondering if there is an advantage of community vs. single nesting boxes. We will also be adding 5 australorps to the coop in 4-6 weeks.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I've gradually gone over to the community boxes because the hens never used the individual nest boxes evenly. I'd provide three or four boxes per tractor and they'd all cram into one. Finally just took the dividers out, made a nest in both corners and let them choose what they liked. 90% of the eggs will all be in the same nest.

 

[vanalpaca]

Okay, so a community nestbox in a chicken tractor sounds like I can just put a board across the end next to the access hatch and put in wood chips and not have to worry about dimensions. I'm thinking it will be 4 feet across at that end, but the A-Frame style roof would cut down on head space to 3 feet across. So if I put the board up at 18 inches away from my hatch door, that should be enough nesting space for 6-9 hens? Where do I learn "chicken math"????

 

[foxinachickenhouse]

Your description is a bit confusing but I think I get it. Our 9 hens have a community nest box. 3 ft wide x 18" deep by 18" tall. I see three at a time in there so it works well enough. I used to have it divided into 3 boxes and only the outer two got used. I also have an extra box (rooster's box), and a couple girls prefer to lay in that.