Freestanding nest box?

[Chicklette]

My girls are almost 17 weeks and 14 weeks and I'm preparing for them to start laying (hopefully soon!) They have nest boxes in the coop but have been free ranged during the day. Recently they have ranged a bit further afield and for some reason (not food) love to hang out around our house. They have a favourite spot under some rhododendron bushes. It has occurred to me that I might be able to put a nesting box near this spot and it's right outside my front door so that would be really convenient for egg collecting.

The coop is way across the yard from this and lately they haven't been returning their much at all. I had been preparing to pen them in or leave them in the coop until later in the day, but I'm wondering if just making a freestanding nest box where they like to hang out might work better (and still allow us to free range them). What do you think?

 

[Imp]

I had hens laying in my bamboo a couple years ago. They made a nest out of the leaves. Just made it a stop when I collected eggs. So it might work if you can get the hens to use it. You could try luring them in with fake eggs or golf balls. Good luck.

Imp

 

[007Dawn]

If they free range they will most likely lay out there as well.

My great great Aunt and Uncle use to have little teapea like boxes out in the open and that is where their girls would lay if they hadn't in the coupe.

 

[vermontgal]

My girls were commuter chickens for a while - they were going out to my garden plot (about 1.5 miles from my house) to a portable pen I had set up out there.

To give them a place to lay out there, I just used a small, 10-gallon plastic "rubbermaid" container, in a dark color. They laid out there just fine.

I put some sand in the bottom of the container, to weight it down so that a chicken hopping up on the brim wouldn't tip it over. I also put some hay in it. I typically only put the chickens out when it was fairly nice weather, so if it was rainy they didn't need the nest box. I covered the container with its lid when I took the chickens back home for the night or if it was going to rain.

 

[Chicklette]

Thanks guys! We'll get to work on building a new nestbox. That will be great if they would lay there too. I'm also one of those folks with 5 wooded acres to search for eggs so I'm really hoping to get them to lay nearby.

 

[Chicklette]

Ok we've (well my husband) completed our little nestbox complete with golf ball. I think it's adorable. Let's hope they use it! Here's a picture of it

 

[Chicklette]

Yay! Yay! Yay! Happy day, first egg!!!!!!!!

Now I know how you all feel!
She even laid where she was supposed to! Super cute small egg.

 

[Rooster#3]

congrats

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

We built a nest box near the doorway just inside our barn for our free ranging hens. Their food is nearby, so we are keeping our fingers crossed they will find it. They have not started laying yet, but should any day now.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

Nice nest box! I like it!