Laying boxes placement

[Bryjag1965]

Hello all you wonderful people , I am in need of knowing where and what proper placement of laying nests should be and look like . I thank you all in advance for any help .

 

[Molpet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/

 

[Bryjag1965]

Thank you

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hello all you wonderful people , I am in need of knowing where and what proper placement of laying nests should be and look like . I thank you all in advance for any help .

The way I determine height of the parts in a coop is to first determine the top of the coop floor, including bedding if you have any. Then I position the nests. Some people put the nests on the coop floor, some elevate them to a height convenient to them. Say you have a bad back, you might want them high enough so you don't have to bend over to collect the eggs. Or maybe you have an elevated coop and want to collect the eggs from outside the coop. I'd want the nests positioned where I could see inside the nest before I blindly stuck my hand in it. Many people have rows of nests at different heights. People tend to care a lot more about the nest elevation than chickens do.

Then I position the roosts noticeably higher than the nests. Most chickens like to sleep in the highest position available. You don't want that spot to be your nests or you can get poopy eggs as they poop at night when they are asleep. I try to set the roosts as low as I reasonably can since the higher the roosts are the more clear space they need to fly down. Also a good time to catch a chicken to handle them and inspect them is at night off of the roost. I want the roosts to be a comfortable height for me to collect them.

Where to position a nest horizontally? Mainly a place that is convenient for you. If you have a walk-in coop you don't want the nests in your way to walk and work in there. If you are collecting eggs from the outside where is convenient to you. The chickens can adjust a whole lot easier than you can.

I'll include a couple of links showing what some people have done for nests. These threads are so old some of the photos are no longer accessible but many still are. You will see that there are no hard and fast rules, your main limits are your imagination.

Nest boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/41108/show-us-your-nest-boxes-ingenous-design-post-it-here/220

Nest Boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-your-creative-nesting-boxes/80#post_12395882

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Great advice above. I will add that large or heavy breeds should have a nest and roosts placed lower so that they don’t develop bumble foot.

 

[Bryjag1965]

The way I determine height of the parts in a coop is to first determine the top of the coop floor, including bedding if you have any. Then I position the nests. Some people put the nests on the coop floor, some elevate them to a height convenient to them. Say you have a bad back, you might want them high enough so you don't have to bend over to collect the eggs. Or maybe you have an elevated coop and want to collect the eggs from outside the coop. I'd want the nests positioned where I could see inside the nest before I blindly stuck my hand in it. Many people have rows of nests at different heights. People tend to care a lot more about the nest elevation than chickens do.

Then I position the roosts noticeably higher than the nests. Most chickens like to sleep in the highest position available. You don't want that spot to be your nests or you can get poopy eggs as they poop at night when they are asleep. I try to set the roosts as low as I reasonably can since the higher the roosts are the more clear space they need to fly down. Also a good time to catch a chicken to handle them and inspect them is at night off of the roost. I want the roosts to be a comfortable height for me to collect them.

Where to position a nest horizontally? Mainly a place that is convenient for you. If you have a walk-in coop you don't want the nests in your way to walk and work in there. If you are collecting eggs from the outside where is convenient to you. The chickens can adjust a whole lot easier than you can.

I'll include a couple of links showing what some people have done for nests. These threads are so old some of the photos are no longer accessible but many still are. You will see that there are no hard and fast rules, your main limits are your imagination.

Nest boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/41108/show-us-your-nest-boxes-ingenous-design-post-it-here/220

Nest Boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-your-creative-nesting-boxes/80#post_12395882

Thank you so much

 

[3KillerBs]

Say you have a bad back, you might want them high enough so you don't have to bend over to collect the eggs.

This is where I am. I'm rather young to have as much arthritis as I do and it's not going to get any better over the years.

When we built Neuchickenstein and DH asked where I wanted the nests, I stood outside as if collecting eggs and we placed the floor of the nests at my elbow level.

Then we went in and placed the roosts at my shoulder level. It works.

People tend to care a lot more about the nest elevation than chickens do.

I made a ground nest from an old pet carrier and none of my chickens use it -- but sometimes they'll make a ground nest in a corner somewhere. Go figure.

I will add that large or heavy breeds should have a nest and roosts placed lower so that they don’t develop bumble foot.

Or you can make a ramp up to the nests and perches (I had a Brahma when we built this coop and she couldn't get more than about 18" off the ground in a wing-assisted leap and only achieved that if POWERFULLY motivated by the idea that some other hen might be getting a treat she wasn't sharing.