How many nesting boxes needed

[twmson]

How many nesting boxes will be needed for about 35 hens?

Thanks

 

[chickiebaby]

I'd say six or seven chooks per box, so that would be 5 or six. Others?

 

[Heather J]

I know the guideline is 3-4 chickens per box, but all seven of my hens use the same box, even though I have two available, so I think that's pretty fluid. I made my boxes about 20 inches wide because my dh's aunt said hers prefer to nest in together, now I'm glad because I'm going to have to adapt my boxes to be the 'roll away' kind, since one of my girls has turned into an egg eater. When I build my new coop I'm going to incorporate this kind of box from the beginning.

 

[Rosebud75]

I saw somewhere that someone had cardboard boxes as nests. Instead of screwed into a wall, just placed on a shelf. Can you do that? Seems to me that would be easy, then you could add nests if you needed them.

 

[jadude]

five
I have seen ten nest boxes for about 20 chickens and the all use one

 

[FarmGirl01]

If I had that many hens again I would use 5 gallon buckets. Real easy to remove and clean. You could always add more if needed. I did have 30 hens and I had 16 nest boxes but they only used about 8 of them. (we had alot of extra wood, and hubby love to make things)

 

[twmson]

Sounds like if I do two rows of 5-6 large (20x20x16) boxes, that should do it.

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
it'll be way more than enough. the girls are going to want to all lay in the same places.
with that many chickens make your life easy and easy to clean.

may the egg basket be plentiful!

 

[twmson]

Well maybe I will start with one row of 6 and see how it goes. I can always add more if needed.