Help with Nesting Boxes and Roost

[pirtykitty]

Hubby got me 3 chicks this past Tuesday.. This morning he told be to start figuring out how to do their nesting box (s) and roost.
I have a raised pen with singled roof that is about 4 ft wide by 6 foot long.. It has two front doors.. all sides are covered in hard ware cloth...

How can I fix it up for when the girls are ready to live in it.. They will free range part of the day..
This was my first duck pen I housed my two Black bellied whistling ducks in it until they Flew off two years ago.. At least one of them got a boy friend and left..

the chicks are rohde island reds and new hampshire red..

 

[Arielle]

It's often difficult to reconfigure an existing structure to fit the needs of the new inhabitants. Try looking at the coop section for ideas that will work with your structure. Congrats on your new birds!

 

[Judy]

I'd just put a nest on one end and about 2' long roost bar or board the long way, about 10" from the wall.

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

I'd look into nest boxes that pop out of the coop with a door to collect eggs without opening the coop. You should only need 1-2 nest boxes. You'd save valuable floor space this way. On the opposite end I'd run a 2X4 for the roost, also 10 inches from the wall.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

 

[pirtykitty]

Thank you every one so far for your help !!!!

 

[6chicks&aduck]

These are mine , i have 10 hens and most of them all lay in the same one lol

 

[Bi0s]

rule of thumb uslay is i think One nesting box for every 2-4 hens.

 

[pirtykitty]

Do they roost on the railing outside the boxes or is that for them to get into the nesting boxes and roosts are else where???

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

Those are to help them get in and out of the nest boxes. You want them to roost elsewhere, so they don't poo on or around you nest boxes.

Here's my roost, but my coop is much larger. You should only need 1 board for them to roost on. All 3 will roost beside eachother.

 

[pirtykitty]

Thank you all for the pictures and suggestions.. Are those carriers for gallons of milk on the left stacked together???? are they nesting boxes.

I found a black plastic container that I think sodas came in.. its about 24 inches long and maybe 3 inches high.. I'll have to come up with a way to make that end dark.. I'm hoping it will work till I find nesting boxes that I like... and that will work.