How many nesting boxes do I need?

[SummerChick]

I have 5 hens and 4 nesting boxes, after reading about everyone wanting to lay in the same box im surprised that mine lay in all 4...when i got these hens they did not have a roost or nesting boxes and had to live on a cement floor! I think they are very happy here. I just got 6 more hens..i guess i will wait and see if i need to had a few new boxes.

 

[easttxchick]

I was going to say 1 as well! I have 16 hens laying right now and boy do some of my girls have a long day waiting for that 1 "magic" laying box to come open.
Funny thing is, I have found that it isn't necessarily the same one every day.

Silly girls.

 

[cluckcluck42]

I have two for 10 chickens and they always cram into one. I think there have been maybe 4 times I have found eggs in both, they always lay in the same nest. We are putting two more nests in. We used an old dresser, took out a drawer and added a piece of wood to the middle to separate them into boxes. Works amazing.

The other day there was 2 hens in one box, 3 hens in the other. They then wait each other out to see who will be the last chicken standing. Chickens. *shrug*

 

[gryeyes]

You could possibly make a couple of "community" nest boxes - with no barriers. Just a wide one as if you were putting up 3 nest boxes, but they all run together. That way, when the chickens cram themselves into it, they aren't squished into one "cell." A lot of people find that community nest boxes work just fine.

I don't know yet. I only have 4 laying out of 13 right now. 2 were laying pullets I bought, and the other two are those I personally raised from 3 day old chicks. One started last Thursday at 23 weeks, and the second started YESTERDAY, and she's 23 1/2 weeks old.

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
When the girls were first starting to lay, a few of them didn't get the whole "nest box" thing and would dig a nest in the deep litter on the floor of the coop. I cannot tell you HOW many eggs I found buried in the shavings as I was turning the litter!

Thankfully that has stopped!

 

[KMLake]

Can I keep my two ducks in the same co-op as my chickens (separate areas)?

 

[lazy gardener]

Can I keep my two ducks in the same co-op as my chickens (separate areas)?

Depends a lot on how big your coop is and the style of it. Ducks are incredibly sloppy. they must be able to immerse their nares in the water. They will slop water all through the coop creating a wet bedding. Perfect set up for frost bite if you live in an area that has cold winters. If you have a drake, he can kill a hen by trying to breed her. Personally, I'd not let them share a coop.

 

[pamonarch]

Don't they though! I have that problem as well! They wait and complain until its their turn!

oh wow...i have heard them cackling for a long time..i go out and there is two looking in the nest making noise and one inside...lol...i guess they are waiting their turn...i have 5 nesting boxes..(one is a large tote with one hole in it) for 15 hens..hoping thats enough

 

[Chullicken]

It's a very old train of thought about the chicken and the nesting box ratio. I doubt they'll use more than two. May want to consider just taking out the partitions and creating a nesting rectangle. Easier to clean, they all should be able to fit in there and it offers them a nice safe place to lay eggs. I have three boxes in my old coop. They all use one, if not they lay an egg in the middle of the coop. One box never gets visited and the other I think they just party there and poop, then go home!

 

[love4mychickens]

I currently have 10 chickens and I am getting 10 more, and I need to know if I need to add more nesting boxes. I have 4 now. Will that be enough or do I need to add a few more?

So overall you are going to have 20 chickens, I would add a few more to give them choices.