Egg Box Size Suggestions, Pretty Please

[Grungybones]

Alrighty I'm just getting ready to nail my egg boxes together on the side of the coop, and am getting ready to put in my dividers. Without dividers they are 1 foot deep by 2 feet wide. If I put the dividers in they will be 1x1. I have 12 chickens and don't think I really need 8 egg boxes for them. I want to make them comfy but not too small.

So here is the vote..

12 chickens, 10 full size 2 bantams

8 egg boxes 1'x 1'?

or

4 egg boxes 1'x2'?

Please give me your input asap, as they will be nailed up within 3 hours of this posting. LOL

 

[farmgirl77]

I have read that 12"x12" is good for standards and that is what we did. I have mostly standards and a few bantams and although the banties probably would prefer smaller boxes, they are fine in the 12"x12". Don't make them bigger or the birds may find someplace cosier to lay. They like to feel secure and private. Don't worry about having too many, if you are anything like most of us your flock will be expanding in the comming years.

 

[Grungybones]

Quote:
Thanks Farmgirl!! I had read that 12"x12" was a good size, but couldnt remember where. It just looked small to me, and somewhere that i wouldnt want to go into labor. Just needed quick opinion. Thanks again.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The regular ratio is one nest box for 4 hens. For you 22 hens, that means 5 to 6 nest boxes are all that are required. You could make them a little wider if you wanted to, say 6 nests at 16" wide, but if you plan on having more laying hens in the future, why not go with 8 nests. With yours, they will probably use only 2 or 3 of the nests anyway for 95% of the eggs.

12" x 12" works as a minimum size for nesting boxes for full sized hens. I made mine 16" x 16" on the thought that 2 might want to lay at the same time. For some people, that is a common occurrence but not with mine. This might give you an idea of what I did.

 

[Backyard Hencam]

I wouldn't go with less than 12"x12". Hens need to stand up and turn around. Our nest boxes are 14"x16". I wanted 14"x14" but you know how husbands are! You can see our nest boxes on the website below. Maybe the camera will show a hen in them laying! Have fun with your project!