Is 15” too big for nesting box width?

[Ridgerunner]

None right now. I moved into Metairie because of the grandkids. No chickens allowed. Previously I had my own mix from Speckled Sussex, Delaware, Black Australorp, Buff Orpington, Ameraucana, and Buff Rocks.

 

[RoyalChick]

I use an old kitchen wall cabinet (upcycling?). There are holes cut in the back for the hens to come and go, and I access eggs through the cabinet doors on the other side which is in a small storage area.
Kitchen wall cabinets are just 12" deep and I chose them because a lot of BYC posts say 12" is the right size and I didn't know any better.
Mine work fine, but it always looks like a tight squeeze and I regret not snagging the base units from the kitchen that was being ripped out so I could do the same thing but giving them more space.
My lot would I think be extremely happy with 15".

 

[SourRoses]

We recently had two broodies warring in a 12 inch milk crate. It was one on top of the other. I had to intervene and put the eggs in my incubator and take away the nest boxes. So in my experience, a small nest doesn't prevent fights.

On the other hand, one pen has a nest box that was a shelf about 3 ft long, we closed in the sides (it was first meant for a broody). The hens in that pen love their nest, usually 2 or 3 will be in there at the same time and they have space to spread out. It's so much less drama than the big flock setup with multiple individual nests. I've decided to only make them big from now on.

Oh, and another good thing about your bin there is being removable is something you don't think you need, but when you have it, it really helps. Need to move a broody? Toss a towel over her and carry the whole nest away. Someone makes an egg mess? Take it out of the coop to dump and wash with the hose.

 

[Ragfrey]

I use an old kitchen wall cabinet (upcycling?). There are holes cut in the back for the hens to come and go, and I access eggs through the cabinet doors on the other side which is in a small storage area.
Kitchen wall cabinets are just 12" deep and I chose them because a lot of BYC posts say 12" is the right size and I didn't know any better.
Mine work fine, but it always looks like a tight squeeze and I regret not snagging the base units from the kitchen that was being ripped out so I could do the same thing but giving them more space.
My lot would I think be extremely happy with 15".

That’s a great idea!!

Thanks.

 

[Ragfrey]

We recently had two broodies warring in a 12 inch milk crate. It was one on top of the other. I had to intervene and put the eggs in my incubator and take away the nest boxes. So in my experience, a small nest doesn't prevent fights.

On the other hand, one pen has a nest box that was a shelf about 3 ft long, we closed in the sides (it was first meant for a broody). The hens in that pen love their nest, usually 2 or 3 will be in there at the same time and they have space to spread out. It's so much less drama than the big flock setup with multiple individual nests. I've decided to only make them big from now on.

Oh, and another good thing about your bin there is being removable is something you don't think you need, but when you have it, it really helps. Need to move a broody? Toss a towel over her and carry the whole nest away. Someone makes an egg mess? Take it out of the coop to dump and wash with the hose.

Some really good points right there!!

Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes, I kinda thought the more room the happier the hens would be.

What kind of hens do you have in your flock?

I have a rainbow of standard size birds. Welsummer, Buff Orp, Buckeye, 2 Marans, 2 EEs, Salmon Faverolles, Olive Egger and Sicilian Buttercup.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I am a baddie. Lol I have no nest boxes in the coop. When they do lay in there, it's in one of two corners (on the floor) generally. But mostly they don't lay in there and wait till they are out in the run. I still plan to move the feeders down so I have room to hang a box or two.

What I've been using are not wide at all, but they work great. Just detergent tubs from Costco. They have the perfect spot to score and tear the lid off and keep a standard nesting pad in there. I wish I had taken a pic today, a beautiful clutch of seven lovely, clean eggs, all laid in there as precious as can be.

Sydney will be pleased if you leave her alone in there....

This was after kicking all the teenagers out the day before lol

I had given two boxes to nine hens and they all always laid in the same one, so I removed the second and it was totally fine. I only recently started placing the two buckets facing the same way, side by side to see if that helped, and I think I maybe got *one* egg laid in that one, one day, and still all the rest laid in the first. As small as it is, I have seen as many as three hens all pile in there because this is despite having another one available. That's chickens for ya!

All that to say, I recommend using what you have handy that looks like it should do the trick. Most likely it will! GL!

 

[birdlady11]

I don't think you need to worry about having an exact size. I think it's the humans who have the Goldlocks Syndrome. Chickens will use just about anything that strikes their fancy. My girls have chosen some of the strangest places to lay if given the free-range opportunity to do so. If you vary your sizes, your girls will find the box that is Just Right for them.

I use hooded kitty litter boxes. They are lightweight, have ventilation slots at the top so they let out excess heat (important here in Florida in the summer), exceptionally easy to clean, have no wood parts that may harbor bacteria or parasites, and come in 2 sizes.

 

[want2know]

I thought about that, and then if they go Mike Tyson vs each other in there- they will break eggs. I guess that does not happen as much as I read

I have hens that have actually liked laying together.

 

[want2know]

I don't think you need to worry about having an exact size. I think it's the humans who have the Goldlocks Syndrome. Chickens will use just about anything that strikes their fancy. My girls have chosen some of the strangest places to lay if given the free-range opportunity to do so. If you vary your sizes, your girls will find the box that is Just Right for them.

I use hooded kitty litter boxes. They are lightweight, have ventilation slots at the top so they let out excess heat (important here in Florida in the summer), exceptionally easy to clean, have no wood parts that may harbor bacteria or parasites, and come in 2 sizes.

Agreed, my girls do the same.