Coop Floor help

[aart]

It's 6x10 and I'm not entirely sure yet on final number.
I'm guessing between 10-14

You only need 4 nests.

 

[Kolbeslayadayinn]

Is there any downside to having more than 4?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Should we raise the nesting box a tad off the ground?

People care about this much more than the chickens. Some people have the nests on the ground like your photo. Some people raise the nests high enough so they don't have to bend over to collect the eggs and clean the nests. That may be important if you have a bad back. The chickens can usually adapt.

With those nests on the ground it would be possible for Mommy Mouse to raise a family under the one on the floor if there is much of a gap. I try to avoid creating places that can harbor mice. If the nests are raised enough for the chickens to get under them that will not happen. Chickens eat mice, including babies.

If the nests are raised enough that the chickens can get under them they do not take up available floor space. If they are just high enough younger chicks or chickens being bullied will often hide under there to get away from the others.

There is no right or wrong answer to your question, just different things that different people d that work. When looking at this consider the height of bedding on the coop floor.

 

[aart]

Is there any downside to having more than 4?

Not really, just it's taking up some potential floor space....and if you raise the whole thing they may sleep in it.

 

[Kolbeslayadayinn]

I've always understood it was 2 hens per box.
I'll be having a mixed flock of Orpingtons, Cream Legbars, Silverrudds, Marans and Welsummers

 

[aart]

I've always understood it was 2 hens per box.
I'll be having a mixed flock of Orpingtons, Cream Legbars, Silverrudds, Marans and Welsummers

The usual I've heard was 1 nest per 3-5 birds.
I have 4 and have had up to 20 birds, I have 13 now.
There' is occasionally a traffic jam or some squabbling, but it's worked out fine..

 

[Kolbeslayadayinn]

Thank you for the information, I'll cut back a couple boxes to open up the floor space

 

[aart]

Thank you for the information, I'll cut back a couple boxes to open up the floor space

I'd just cut the bottom off that nest bank and use to lumber to make a perch for the 4 top nests, mount it all on the wall.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Should we raise the nesting box a tad off the ground?

As others have noted it's really up to you. Mine's floor level and birds can easily get in and out without me having to worry if the nests are too high. Downside is yes I have to bend down to get eggs and I do have a bad back, but I don't find bending over 2-3x a day to be too bothersome thus far.

 

[linguini]

I used roll vinyl in my coops. Worked fine for me. Very easy to sweep out, and it was cheap.

We use vinyl with wood chips. Easy to clean. Started with vinyl and pine shavings - too slippery for them, but wood chips totally solved the slippery issue.