Do Chickens care if multiple nests are divided?

[Nrod7TX]

I was wondering if anyone had some insight into whether their hens preferred a more closed nesting box or one that was more open. I have had both, but am wondering if maybe my hens would prefer a more secluded atmosphere in their nests. If so, has anyones egg laying increased because of it?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They normally like a more secluded environment. That's why battery hens are so uncomfortable doing their thing under bright lights in front of their friends. They are individuals though.

 

[Nrod7TX]

They normally like a more secluded environment. That's why battery hens are so uncomfortable doing their thing under bright lights in front of their friends. They are individuals though.

Yeah that makes sense. I have 5 nest boxes side by side and I think I am going to make some dividers for them. They are some lucky girls . I will post some pics of the coop soon, I am very close to being completely finished ( I hope ).

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Ha!!! Good luck. We'll never be completely finished.
Every time I think I am, I build another coop and hatch more. Then I need to repaint the first.

 

[Nrod7TX]

Ha!!! Good luck. We'll never be completely finished.
Every time I think I am, I build another coop and hatch more. Then I need to repaint the first.

How many coops have you built? Haha you are right though, there will probably always be something. I should have said my wife hopes I will be completely done with it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In the last 6 years I've built 7 - some elaborate, some simple - but over my lifetime, I've built or refurbished an untold number.

 

[Nrod7TX]

That's awesome. Have you always raised chickens? What all do you have in your flock currently?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks to predators and downsizing, I'm down to 3 breeds I just lost a great Ancona hen, Jaerhon hen and a White Minorca hen to raccoons.
I decided that I only had room to do one breed justice. So for the last 3 years, the only roosters I've had are Black Penedesencas and all the hens except for a Jaer and an Ameraucana are Penedesencas.
Growing up we had only leghorns for eggs, Cornish for meat and a few pheasant but we always had about 100 layers.
I've had as many as 24 breeds at one time.
In my middle years, I had none
When I retired, I worked with Scarlet and Great Green Macaws in Costa Rica. Everyone there had chickens and nobody needed an alarm clock due to roosters. I quickly grew to like that lifestyle. When I got home, I wanted to learn a lot more about chickens than I already did so I started branching out to other breeds.

 

[K Spot]

I was wondering if anyone had some insight into whether their hens preferred a more closed nesting box or one that was more open. I have had both, but am wondering if maybe my hens would prefer a more secluded atmosphere in their nests. If so, has anyones egg laying increased because of it?

I have 9 hens and 2 nesting boxes.

My one hen laying at the moment chooses to lay her eggs in the straw on a shelf that was already in the structure we converted into a coop. I just let her lay there - she isn't bothered by the others and consistently lays in the same spot everyday.

I do have fake eggs in the nesting boxes, but she pays them no attention.

I guess it's each chicken to their own.

 

[Nrod7TX]

I have 9 hens and 2 nesting boxes.

My one hen laying at the moment chooses to lay her eggs in the straw on a shelf that was already in the structure we converted into a coop. I just let her lay there - she isn't bothered by the others and consistently lays in the same spot everyday.

I do have fake eggs in the nesting boxes, but she pays them no attention.

I guess it's each chicken to their own.

Yeah I have a golf ball I am using as my fake egg and its working so far.

I am anxious to get all of my hens laying. I have 2 going so far ( Red Stars ) but I have another Red Star and 5 Black Star hens that all look like any day now they will lay their first.