How high is too high off the ground for nest boxes?

[EmmaDonovan]

If I build my nest boxes 4.5 - 5.5 feet off the ground for easier cleaning and egg collection, does it make any difference to the hens? I'm trying to design a coop and run that's user-friendly for us tall people with older backs and joints.

 

[cavemanrich]

You can build higher nest boxes, but you will be faced with 2 things.
Your chickens may decide not to use them for laying eggs. The may use as sleeping quarters.
Second problem/issue, is,,,, the added height is not ideal for larger chickens.
When chicken fly off, they need a good long horizontal open area in front. If you do have a very large coop, then you have that horizontal space. If not, then chickens are not helicopters, and crash land to ground. Injured feet, and bumble foot can be common in such conditions/situations.
It is best, and many here will agree, to have them just above ground/floor level. Enough so that chickens do not scratch bedding into nest boxes. 1 foot sounds fine. Make chicken nesting boxes tall enough so chickens fit comfortably inside, and are able to stand. They stand when expressing the egg.
I would also like to extend the invitation to join the AZ family of chicken peeps.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arizona-chickens.31227/page-7286
I hang out there as a long distance member.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Pardon my ridiculous MS Paint skills!

Well, the nesting boxes would be inside the coop which is 3.5' off the ground. The boxes would be on the floor of the coop, or very close to it. Is the coop too high?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Excellent sketch, shows what you want to very well. Nothing wrong with simple. Sure explained it to me.

I've seen chickens use a 10' high hay loft to make nests and to hatch chicks. I have a big walk-in coop at ground level. Some of my nests are 4' off the coop floor. The chickens lay in them and hatch chicks in them. A little height doesn't worry me at all. Doesn't seem to bother the chickens either but you may have to make some accommodations. I often suggest on here that if you have a bad back you might want the nests higher.

If you have chickens that can't fly, like Silkies, height can be a problem. Chickens need enough room to spread their wings and fly, tight spaces or a lot of clutter in a smaller coop can cause problems. Mine can and do fly but some people find a need for ramps. With chickens it's hard for me to make a blanket statement, there are always exceptions, qualifications, and clarifications.

The way I determine the vertical layout in a coop is to determine the height of the coop floor, including bedding. Make your pop door high enough that they don't scratch the bedding out. Determine the height of your nests. This is where I usually mention people with bad backs. Some people put them on the coop floor, some much higher. Then position the roosts. The roosts need to be noticeably higher than the nests or anything you don't want them sleeping in or on. Chickens tend to like to sleep on the highest spot available.

I don't know how cold you get in the winter, probably not enough for it to be an issue. I still want a lot of ventilation over their heads. Warm air rises as long as there is cooler air to replace it. The more height there is the better the air exchange so don't try to make the coop real short. In warm weather it can be nice for them to have a breeze blowing on them when on the roost so a window or vent at their level or below can be a good thing. Might want to shut it at night if it gets close to freezing. You'll need a window so you and the chickens can see to do what you need to do in there. Morning sun is not as hot as evening sun so in your climate I'd want the window on the north or east side.

I really like an overhang on the coop with the top of the walls under that open, covered with hardware cloth to protect against predators to give a lot of ventilation. The overhang will keep your monsoon rains out. That will also let in a lot of light but not direct sun. And I'd want a vent pretty low on the shady side to let cooler air in when it is hot. The shady side is going to be your coolest air to help with that air exchange.

With that coop you will gather your eggs from outside. You can hang the nests off outside the coop or put them inside the coop with a door so you can gather them from outside. In your heat you do not want those nests to become an oven. Again I'd avoid the south or west sides. Your heat is a real issue.

3.5 feet off the ground is not too high for chickens. Some people on here have done much more than that. My full-sized chickens have no problems flying up to my 5' high roosts. If you have chickens that can fly and they want to get up there, they will. Many people like ramps. It won't hurt but you may have to teach them to use it. It's not that hard, just keep putting them up there at night and lock them in until they figure it out. At 3.5 feet height I'd cut the ramp 6' long and put treads (1" x 1/2" strips of wood) every 6" so they can easily grip. 6' long gives them a nice easy slope they can manage. They may just fly up and will probably fly down but some will probably use it.

Joining that Arizona thread and chatting with your neighbors can be a good thing, they have a lot of local knowledge. Even if you don't join, browse it.

Good luck!

 

[Acre4Me]

Pardon my ridiculous MS Paint skills!

Well, the nesting boxes would be inside the coop which is 3.5' off the ground. The boxes would be on the floor of the coop, or very close to it. Is the coop too high?

Looks great. Our coop (a walk-in style) is elevated 2.5 feet above ground. The nest boxes are floor level inside the coop. We can open the doors on the outside to retrieve eggs - its great. We did a 2-level one with perch in front, and then 2 larger ones on bottom (floor level) for the bigger breeds we have. It is common to see two chickens in the upper nest boxes - in the same box!