How many nesting boxes are suitable for this amount of birds?

[MTR]

I currently have 3 hens and 3 nesting boxes. 1 is recovering from worms and still isn’t laying yet and the other 2 lay in seperate nesting boxes. However, I have 10 ISA brown chicks still in the brooder who are around 6 weeks (I know it’s time for them to start going out but I’m postponing it for a week when I come back from vacation so I can monitor them when outside) and I’m going to give away or eat 3 of those chicks so I’m going to have 10 hens total. ( my 3 current hens + 7 isa browns ) but we are wondering how many nesting boxes we need to have… because isa browns lay everyday and If I have 7 I’m going to need over 7 nesting boxes. I was thinking of just adding 3 more nesting boxes so in total I would have 6 because my current hens are easter eggers and usually lay every other day. Is 6 nesting boxes enough?

You don’t need anymore. I have 17 currently laying hens and 5 boxes and they only ever use 3.

 

[MTR]

Rule of thumb is 1 nest box for every 4-5 hens. It's interesting to hear that your birds lay in different boxes because I usually find that everyone seems to like the same box.

I literally have hens on top of each other in a box when the other 4 are empty.

 

[Likepaperinafire]

I have somewhere about 20 chickens 16 or so are hens.. I dont count anymore that sounds like the right number though.. anyway I have 6 nest boxes and 4 get used.

 

[poultryprofessor]

I literally have hens on top of each other in a box when the other 4 are empty.

Somewhere I have a picture of an egg that was laid ON another hen. Chickens are weird.

 

[cherrynberry]

Somewhere I have a picture of an egg that was laid ON another hen. Chickens are weird.

Wow, never happened to me. Would love to see that live.

 

[arlenena]

I currently have 3 hens and 3 nesting boxes. 1 is recovering from worms and still isn’t laying yet and the other 2 lay in seperate nesting boxes. However, I have 10 ISA brown chicks still in the brooder who are around 6 weeks (I know it’s time for them to start going out but I’m postponing it for a week when I come back from vacation so I can monitor them when outside) and I’m going to give away or eat 3 of those chicks so I’m going to have 10 hens total. ( my 3 current hens + 7 isa browns ) but we are wondering how many nesting boxes we need to have… because isa browns lay everyday and If I have 7 I’m going to need over 7 nesting boxes. I was thinking of just adding 3 more nesting boxes so in total I would have 6 because my current hens are easter eggers and usually lay every other day. Is 6 nesting boxes enough?

 

[arlenena]

I currently have 3 hens and 3 nesting boxes. 1 is recovering from worms and still isn’t laying yet and the other 2 lay in seperate nesting boxes. However, I have 10 ISA brown chicks still in the brooder who are around 6 weeks (I know it’s time for them to start going out but I’m postponing it for a week when I come back from vacation so I can monitor them when outside) and I’m going to give away or eat 3 of those chicks so I’m going to have 10 hens total. ( my 3 current hens + 7 isa browns ) but we are wondering how many nesting boxes we need to have… because isa browns lay everyday and If I have 7 I’m going to need over 7 nesting boxes. I was thinking of just adding 3 more nesting boxes so in total I would have 6 because my current hens are easter eggers and usually lay every other day. Is 6 nesting boxes enough?

 

[arlenena]

We have had anywhere from 10 to 15 chickens for 6 years and we only have 4 nesting boxes. They fight over the same one or maybe two every day. It’s insane! One time we had 3 in the same box at the same time. Crazy chickens

 

[Caseyvdb]

I currently have 3 hens and 3 nesting boxes. 1 is recovering from worms and still isn’t laying yet and the other 2 lay in seperate nesting boxes. However, I have 10 ISA brown chicks still in the brooder who are around 6 weeks (I know it’s time for them to start going out but I’m postponing it for a week when I come back from vacation so I can monitor them when outside) and I’m going to give away or eat 3 of those chicks so I’m going to have 10 hens total. ( my 3 current hens + 7 isa browns ) but we are wondering how many nesting boxes we need to have… because isa browns lay everyday and If I have 7 I’m going to need over 7 nesting boxes. I was thinking of just adding 3 more nesting boxes so in total I would have 6 because my current hens are easter eggers and usually lay every other day. Is 6 nesting boxes enough?

 

[dfsndc7]

My girls are 13 hens of different ages. I made two ground level from covered kitty litter containers with the flap removed, we have two wall boxes about two feet high and two shelves nesting boxes about 4 feet and 5 feet high. Depending on broodies and pecking order 2-3 boxes get eggs at a time. But when I had 4 broody at once it left 2 spots for them to lay. And sometimes they jumped in with a broody and laid there. I like having choices for them but I have 6 places for 13 hens and yes I've found eggs outside a few times too. They do what they want and where it feels safe. Sometimes they wait in line and hang out til the next girl is done good luck when you babies grow fast and it's egg time