How many nesting boxes?

[cmclean]

I have 4 hens that will be old enough to lay eggs in a couple of months. How many nesting boxes do I provide? Does each hen need her own box?
Thanks!!!

 

[alcap]

Two at most . I have 7 hens and they only use two or three.

 

[clairabean]

They will share. My 17 hens only lay in one of three. Maybe, maybe, if there is a semi broody in the preferred box they will lay in two.

Give them two for variety, but do not surprised if they only use one.

 

[DanEP]

No one or two will be fine, their probably all going to lay in the same box anyway. Just put a fake egg or a golf ball in the boxes just before they start to lay so they get the idea of where to lay. It's easier to get them laying there in the first place than to get them retrained if they start somewhere else.

 

[cmclean]

What about nesting material? Do you put hay in the box?

 

[mkcolls]

I agree with alcap.

We have 30 layers, 6 nesting boxes and most of them wait in line for the favorite 2 boxes.

Is this a feature of chicken math??

 

[clairabean]

I never use hay. It gets wet, and dirty, and mucky, and then freezes in to a mess in winter. Besides the chickens keep pulling it out and making more of a mess. I use shavings.

 

[cmclean]

Quote:
Are the shavings messy too?
Do the chickens pull out the shavings as well?

 

[clairabean]

Messy? Not really. I use deep litter method, so the floor has six inches of shavings on it anyways. I also use wood apple crates on the floor for nesting boxes, so the chickens have to hop in and out. I love shavings, as they keep everything dry. And dry is a bonus when we have five months of freezing weather.

 

[PlayaChicken]

I have a communal box. I have 5 laying right now. No particians. Some prefer the right side some prefer the left side of the box. It has pine shavings and golf balls in it.