Hey hey

[drumstick diva]

you won't need a nest box for each hen. They tend to want the one that is most popular even if they are all identical. That's chickens for you. It's common for the girls to line up to use the same nest box. If they lose patience they just climb on top of the present occupant and will lay an egg on her.

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Lexxietopaz]

Even if they all pick on one hen and she's the odd one out. Will they still let her in the nest boxes?

 

[Kelsie2290]

They do allow her in the coop, to eat etc, they don't chase her so bad she is always hiding? If she is just the low chicken in the pecking order (there is always one), as long as you have multiple next boxes she should be OK, she may not be able to get in the "favorite" nest box, but she should be able to find one open. They usually recommend one nest box for every three or four hens, more boxes won't hurt. Hens like to use the same nest boxes other hens do (one reason to use fake eggs, so they think that another hen already thought that was a "good" spot), so it is normal to find a line of hens waiting to lay or even more than one hen in a favorite box occasionally.