Crowded Nest Box

[fmk]

Hi All - I've got 5 great hens. They have two identical nest boxes, along side each other, but they will only use one of them. This morning there were three hens in one box and the other two were trying to join them too! Is this normal - how can I encourage them to use both boxes? Frank

 

[aussieheelr]

VERY normal. I have 17 hens... 5 nest boxes 3 hens use 1 box and the rest use the space under the boxes

they never laid under the boxes until I got my new chickens. The new girls never had boxes where they came from and they corupted my young ladies

 

[SunshineSilkies]

I have plenty of nesting boxes and my silkies choose to all crowd into one box also!!!! If I have a broody one, I move her to another place by herself so she can have some peace without other hens disturbing her by trying to take her eggs or wanting to lay one..

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Chickens are perverse this way. You can provide one nest box for each hen and make them as identical to each other as you possibly can and they'll still have their favorites and ignore the rest. Angle to the sun or light has a lot to do with it sometimes. They like a box that is dark, but with decent ventilation and with corners or walls to give it a snug feel.

But no matter what you do they are never going to use them all evenly.

.....Alan.

 

[featherbaby]

You might try decorating each one differently to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. One could be a lovely spring green contrasted with white crown molding and an impressionistic framed print perhaps. Another could be done in dark jewel colors with an accent wall of deep eggplant purple. One of my favorites is the "bordello" look: all red walls and mirrors on the ceiling......

 

[radiodog]

I have 8 all using the same nest. I did notice another nest tramped down but it remains unused.

 

[fmk]

Thanks for the encouragement - however, I had two broken eggs as a result of the rust. It's only the 16th March - just imagine how crazy my Irish hens will be tomorrow on St. Patrick's Day!!