does every hen need her own nesting box?

[Hillsviewchicks]

I have 4 banny hens and 10 laying hens and I only get 1-4 eggs a day. Someone told me that each hen needs her own box to lay in?

 

[JNorth]

We started with one nest box for every two birds, so naturally they all decided to use the same box!

 

[Aacre]

I believe that you need one nesting box for every 4 hens, or something like that. I have 6 hens and two boxes.. They all mostly lay in one box.

Unless one is in the top nest box, and they can't "hold it" (as I lovingly call it) then they use the bottom box. Most of the time mine will just wait it out just so they can use the top one.. Not sure why the preference, but it doesn't matter to me as long as they lay in a nesting box!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

General "rule of thumb" you'll see is one box for every 4-5 hens - some use a slightly higher ratio, others lower.

I recently had to convince my husband to scale back his building plans as he was going to build some 20 nest boxes for my 16 little birds (he knows me too well and knows that there will be more coming - may not know when, but he knows they will be coming, lol). The butthead actually went online, googled it and THEN says, 'Oh, you were right about that, btw' -- gee, ya think, I mean of the two of us I am the one that grew up with chickens and all - imagine that I'd know that stuff

 

[Aacre]

General "rule of thumb" you'll see is one box for every 4-5 hens - some use a slightly higher ratio, others lower.

I recently had to convince my husband to scale back his building plans as he was going to build some 20 nest boxes for my 16 little birds (he knows me too well and knows that there will be more coming - may not know when, but he knows they will be coming, lol). The butthead actually went online, googled it and THEN says, 'Oh, you were right about that, btw' -- gee, ya think, I mean of the two of us I am the one that grew up with chickens and all - imagine that I'd know that stuff

At least your husband was concerned! Mine will just take my word for it on chicken matters!

 

[CarolinaHen]

We have 13 layers and they only use two of the boxes we have. One of the others must be deemed the "broody box" because my broody hens always take it over.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For 14 hens I'd probably use four nests, but you can get by with three nests if they are a little oversized. If you use 12" x 12', I'd suggest 4. If they were say 16" x16", three is enough.

 

[Sierrab]

We also have 13 layers and they pile into one nest when they have 8 to choose from. I've seen 4 of them stuffed into one. I've gone to the extent of moving them over and over to help them realize there are other nests. But it seems 2 nests would have been plenty for them.
As I see it; I just need to get more to lay in the unused nests

 

[CarolinaHen]

We also have 13 layers and they pile into one nest when they have 8 to choose from. I've seen 4 of them stuffed into one. I've gone to the extent of moving them over and over to help them realize there are other nests. But it seems 2 nests would have been plenty for them.
As I see it; I just need to get more to lay in the unused nests

That is an excellent plan! Think I might have to keep some of the chicks I'm hatching so the unused nests don't feel unloved.

 

[Blooie]

At least your husband was concerned! Mine will just take my word for it on chicken matters!

Mine does too. And I've learned in 46 years of marriage the best way to handle him. First, I decide what I want or need, plant the seed in his head, then shut my mouth about it. I let him ponder and stew, and eventually he comes up to me and says, "I was thinking, maybe we should _________." (fill in the blank) I smile my dimpliest (Shut up, spell check, I made that word up) smile at him and say, "Hey, that's a great idea! I'd have never thought of that!"
The second secret is to tell him, "I've been doing a lot of research and this is way cheaper." I have him from the word "cheaper".

I am eee-vile, and must be destroyed!