How many nest boxes?

[Nicole01]

I currently converted a night stand into 2 nest boxes for 7 laying hens. I have one non/internal layer that does not lay.

Since I wasn't getting enough eggs, I'm adding 3 more, but one possibly could be a rooster. Will 2 nest boxes be adequate for 9-10 laying hens?

I'm thinking of taking the current arrangement out and having hubby making 4 nest boxes up off the ground a ways, or we could alter the night stand into 4 boxes. Perhaps the 2 we have are enough. It's very rare I find eggs in both boxes, they use the same one. WWYD? Here's my current situation.

The water is only in the coop during the winter to prevent freezing. We keep it outside.

 

[bairo]

You should still be ok with two for 9 or 10 unless you have a breed that likes to go broody. Try and collect eggs though a couple times a day.

 

[ChicKat]

cute nightstand nest box.

I have heard that the rule of thumb is 1 nest box per 4-hens. I have 4---and I think that it should be 1 nest box per 4 with a minimum of 2 nest boxes..... ESPECIALLY if one is going to go broody.

 

[TwoCrows]

X2

I have 4 hens and I have found that I needed 2 nest boxes to accommodate all 4 girls. Especially when one goes broody, which seems to be frequent around here. LOL

So for 10 hens, I would think you need at least 4 boxes.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh, and nice night stand nest box!

 

[ChicKat]

X2

I have 4 hens and I have found that I needed 2 nest boxes to accommodate all 4 girls. Especially when one goes broody, which seems to be frequent around here. LOL

So for 10 hens, I would think you need at least 4 boxes.

sheesh--- NOw I want one to go broody---- what is your magic to frequently get a broody? or do you have a broody type breed.

Like twocrowsranch says...probably 4 would be nice for 10 -- even if some don't get used...everyone would have a chance at an empty nest box when she needed it.

 

[TwoCrows]

sheesh--- NOw I want one to go broody---- what is your magic to frequently get a broody? or do you have a broody type breed.

Like twocrowsranch says...probably 4 would be nice for 10 -- even if some don't get used...everyone would have a chance at an empty nest box when she needed it.

LOL...You can have my broodies!! LOL I don't have a rooster, so I am always prying broodies out of their boxes so they don't hog up the nest boxes. I have Black Australorps. Seems like somebody goes broody once a month around here! LOL

I don't have a tip for you as to how to get them to GO broody, however I need tips as to how to STOP them from going broody!

 

[Nicole01]

I've had my girls just over a year and no broody yet!

I take the eggs out several times a day. Maybe thats why I never had a broody. The space below would work as a broody spot with the door on one side. It's nice and private. The girls like to sit in the bottom part and hang out.

Hubby can alter the nightstand into 4 boxes. He made it 25-30 years ago in school in wood shop out of solid oak.

 

[TwoCrows]

If you are taking away the eggs all the time, it does lessen the likeliness of broodies. I think that is my problem. I started using fake eggs in the nest boxes when they were young and I never removed them. If I take away the eggs, even now when they are over a year old, they will panic and not no where to lay their eggs! They will tear up the nest boxes looking for the eggs, destroy the entire coop searching for any eggs and scream all day long over the fake eggs! If I put them back in, peace returns to the nest boxes.

So the moral of the story is...LOL, if you want broodies, leave your fake eggs in the nest boxes all the time, you can remove the real ones. It seems to keep my girls fooled and keep the broodiness coming!

OY! I have ruined my birds! LOL

 

[dainerra]

I've always had fake eggs in the boxes, have never had a hen go broody. My mom doesn't use fake eggs, gets broodies all the time

She said that I should get some bantams