How many nesting boxes per hen?

[vr1967]

I'm thinking of making a community, rollaway nest box for 18 pullets.
For the laying area, I'm considering 16x16x30 wide, with a rubber curtain for privacy. I have everything needed as I just finished remodeling the house.

 

[amama]

We have 14 hens laying about 12 eggs daily right now, 3 (sometimes 4) nesting boxes/plastic tubs with a roof/burlap curtains. Today all 12 eggs were in the same box! I've found 2 or 3 chickens sitting in one box at a time, while the other boxes were open. One tub is red, the others are white, and they love the red one. We've moved it to test that theory, and they almost always lay in that one. I'm thinking of replacing the white ones with red tubs so maybe they'll quit squashing the poor first hen in the box!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

My coop is designed to hold 10 to 12 large breed chickens. I follow the formula of 1 nest box for every 4 birds, so I built in 3 nest boxes for the layers....Though I only have a small flock of 4 birds. :/

 

[silkwormlady]

This is so much of it funny! Same thing: 5 boxes - only two used - but then I just realized that these are the 2 boxes furthest away from the "people door", which we keep open for cross ventilation. Our hens free range on our farm. I've also seen two crowd into one box - somewhat comfy, no real squabbling. Right now I have to check morning first thing and mid morning since I have a broody Buff Orp who likes to play musical eggs! I marked the 2 I gave her so I wasn't playing musical eggs! (Except for having to take fresh ones out from under her - quibble quibble - and giving her back the 2 I marked). NOW I realize I need to put up some kind of light blocking curtain at the people door end of their boxes!
Love this thread. So true to all the chicken idiosyncrasies!

 

[Charlie0928]

so what do you guys do when you catch 2 or 3 hens fighting over a single box? i tried to carry and move the a couple of them to the next box, and they werent having it and tried to poke me with their beak.

 

[rosemarythyme]

so what do you guys do when you catch 2 or 3 hens fighting over a single box? i tried to carry and move the a couple of them to the next box, and they werent having it and tried to poke me with their beak.

Assuming they aren't doing any real damage to each other or the eggs I'd just let them do what they please. Some chickens will politely wait their turn, others are fine just laying on top of each other.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

so what do you guys do when you catch 2 or 3 hens fighting over a single box? i tried to carry and move the a couple of them to the next box, and they werent having it and tried to poke me with their beak.

I leave them be

 

[aart]

so what do you guys do when you catch 2 or 3 hens fighting over a single box? i tried to carry and move the a couple of them to the next box, and they werent having it and tried to poke me with their beak.

How many birds and how many nests?
I put fake eggs in all nests...helps 'spread the love'.
But I don't interfere with bickering chickens unless there is copious blood being drawn.