How high should I put my nest boxes

[Newchickenguy]

I here you dont want your nest boxes level with the floor, but if you put them too high wouldnt your hatched chicks run the risk of falling out of the nest and breaking a leg or worse. Anyone have experience with this. I am currenlty building my coop and would like to know how high to put my nest boxes so when my hen hatches her chicks I dont have to worry about them killing themselves getting out/

 

[aka Rachel]

My nest boxes are about a foot off the ground. They like them, use them and have brooded there before. That is low enough that I was able to make a little ramp for the baby chicks to go up and down to the nest.

 

[earlybird10842]

Yeah, a foot seems ideal. Ours are a bit higher, but they needed coaxing to use them.

 

[debid]

I went 20" up so they would have use of the space underneath (their feeder hangs under there...) I also used organizer trays in the boxes so if I had to someday relocate a broody, I could slide her whole nest out and move her. But, really, I don't think chicks are nearly so fragile as you might expect. My kids had a couple of occasions when a chick took a flying leap from their hands and dropped more than 20" and not onto a fluffy, soft bedding. No injuries. And if you've ever seen baby wood ducks jump from the nest, well, let's just say they survive much worse.

OH, and the perch on the nest box shelf is the halfway point up to the roost bar so they saw the nests with the plastic eggs every time they got up in the morning and when they went to bed in the evening. They all figured it out just fine.