How high are your nest boxes off the floor?

[grullablue]

We're working on our coop, and soon time to start the nest boxes! How high off the floor should they be? I was guessing 18-24"? We're just having one row of them.

Thanks!
Angie

 

[Wildsky]

I have three ON the floor and two about 3 or 4 inches up on the wall....

 

[MsBentleyboy]

Mine are 12 inches above the ground... some people place them 2 ft above the ground.

I wanted mine low enough for my baby chicks to fly up there and sleep in a few nest together...and they did.

 

[Wildsky]

You want to discourage chickens sleeping in the nest boxes - or you will end up with poopy eggs when the time comes.

However high you place them, make the roost HIGHER.

I placed mine low just because it was easier, and if there are any broody's hatching chicks I don't have to worry about them falling out to the floor.

 

[miss_thenorth]

My nest boxes are about 4 1/2 feet off the ground. I have a nursery underneath where the broodies go, and baby chicks stay until the can come out and play with the rest. My roosts are in an open area in the barn.

But..... The barn was already there, and we just kept adding to it as our needs changed. It is not a perfect set up.

 

[ibpboo]

My silkie picked her own spot in the barn and it is 4 feet off the ground, I put an old drawer there for her. I have in the coop, one that sits on the ground and the sides are 14" high, and then I have another one that is 16" or so off the ground. They lay in both.

 

[icthus]

I am building a coop now. I put mine 18" off the floor. Here is a pic. The second pic shows the roost height in relation to the nest boxes. Don't take this as gospel since I haven't let my birds try it out yet. I hope they like it!

 

[grullablue]

Thanks for the replies! Icthus, your roosts are exactly what we plan to do for our roosts. And we didn't get to the nesting boxes today, but have decided to put them 18" up. We did get the pop door made today, insulation hung, and plywood walls put up over the insulation. And finished the soffit and trim on the outside. No new pics from this weekend, but have some pics of our coop in my BYC page on the link in my signature if anyone's interested! We've put a LOT of work into it! Will try to take pics tomorrow!

Angie