Five hens, one nest box?

[All about the EGG]

I plan on having only one box for five hens. If I have to, I can fit two boxes. My question is this...will a hen lay an egg in a box, with an egg still in it? Thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, yeah!! I have 10 boxes for 6 hens and they all lay in the same one!!!

Don't sweat it, just keep your eggs gathered so they won't have to risk breaking one. I've never had that happen but I've heard other folks say they have. My hens are real careful when they get on and off the nest.

 

[greenacreshens]

I have four hens and one box and they have no problem laying if there are already one, two or even three in there. They do however, fuss over the box loudly if someone is hogging it too long!! I would stick a second one in there just to make it easier on them!

 

[RayP]

They recommend one box for every 4 chickens, so might be OK but if you can put in another.

 

[K&H Chicken Farm]

I always put in 2 boxes, even if there is only 2 hens in there. Makes it easyer for the birds and they get a choice.

 

[Yogiman]

For what it's worth: You could put a nest box for each hen and they will probably all still lay in the same box. That's just the way they are.

 

[chickenwoods]

I have 5 nest boxes and around 20 hens.
At 10:00am on a saturday you dont want to be around the barn...Some times two will lay in one box.but most of my hens fight the other out. I need to add more..
I get 4 or 5 hens standing around the nest boxes BAWKING for HOURS!! LOUDLY.waiting thar turn...calling in every Hawk and coyote within a 1 mile radius...Thats why i dont let em out until afternoon when theyre done with thar egg laying calls.

 

[ruth]

5 hens with one box should be fine. They all want the same box anyway and want to lay in whichever box already has an egg. I had 13 laying hens and 8 boxes and they would all line up and squawk and wait for one box - sometimes there would be two in the box - crammed in - each refusing to budge. I tell you they are greedy little attention grabbing critters. Then one finally lays her egg and gets up and won't stopping yapping about for hours.

 

[All about the EGG]

Thanks for all the advice, very informing as well as humorous!!!

 

[Buster]

Mine have two boxes for 5 hens in each pen and usually lay in the same box but occasionally in the other one as if they got tired of waiting and dropped one in there instead. I introduced a new hen in one of the pens and she lays in the corner- which prompts several others to do the same.