Need dimensions nest boxes

[andreanar]

I am so sick and disgusted by my current coop. Im building a new one. I am planning built out nest boxes to access from the outside and save space inside. I keep LF mostly. What is the size of an appropriate sized nest box? Length, width, height and depth? Thanks in advance.

 

[cholland]

12 x 12 x 12 inches works for most. If you can make them a little taller, like 16 inches is better. They actually stand up when the egg drops.
If building for outside access, make sure the roof overhangs an inch or two and the hinge is covered, so rain doesn't sneak in.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

if you make them bigger sometimes more than one will nest together, we made one large one, with a curtain in between, sometimes three will squeeze in together!
it is 26 inches long and 16 inches in depth, and 20 inches high (the extra couple inches are used for roll away - bottom conceals the egg)

 

[imnukensc]

Most recommendations I've seen are 12x12x12, but I made mine about 16X16X16.

 

[PirateGirl]

I agree with the sizes above, but would like to add that a 4 inch lip on the entrance is nice so eggs don't roll out or get kicked out. Some chickens like to stir things up in the nest boxes more than others

 

[Ridgerunner]

I once used a kitty litter bucket that measured 7-1/2" x 11-1/2" for large fowl. It was OK for them laying but did not work out well for hatching. There was no top so unlimited height. Hens stand up when they lay so a little height is good, but when I was a kid on the farm I saw some hens lay in some pretty tight spots. We give a lot of rules and such but not all hens read our rules.

A general recommended minimum size is 12" x 12" x 12" for large fowl, which sounds reasonable to me. I made the ones I built 16" x 16" x 16" which worked well. The main reason I went 16" wide was that my wall stud spacing was 16" so that made framing easy. When you cut an 8' long piece of lumber or a 8' x 4' sheet of plywood into 16" pieces there is no waste. !6" for all dimensions seemed reasonable for me. I often had three hens sharing the nest at one time. There was enough room. If you are using left over materials look at what sizes you have and plan accordingly.

You can build a roll-out nest, there are various designs for those. The hen lays in a nest but the egg rolls to a separate box where you can collect it, which could be outside the coop. Those are not good for a broody hen hatching eggs but could work for you.

Some people build community nests, maybe 24" x 48" with holes at both ends for entrance. The top is hinged to gather eggs. One this size is supposed to handle two dozen hens. Some people use long troughs uncovered.

Some people like to build dark nests, maybe even putting curtains on the opening to keep them dark. Others do not put any covers on them at all, leaving them exposed to light.

Some people give rules for how many hens can use one nest. I do that myself, but size of the nests make a difference. The larger the nest the more hens a nest can handle. If your nests are 12" x 12" x 12", I'd suggest one nest for every four hens. My 16"ers regularly handle 5 hens each and could probably handle more.

There are no hard and fast rules for what you have to do, your hens can't read them. But be generous with room. Just like practically everything else with chickens and room, it's a lot better to provide a bit too much than a bit too little.

 

[andreanar]

I made the ones I built 16" x 16" x 16" which worked well. The main reason I went 16" wide was that my wall stud spacing was 16" so that made framing easy.

My wall studs are spaced 16" too, so that makes perfect sense to me, sounds like a great plan.
Thanks all for answering.

 

[Mosey2003]

I like 16" for large fowl too. My big Rock girls will fit into 12"s, but they fit much better in the bigger ones.

 

[aart]

Mine are 14x14x16.
Not sure I'd recommend exterior nests in your climate, just make the coop bigger

 

[paneubert]

I looked back over a "laying house" design from the 1950's I had saved and noticed that they went with a style of nest box that I have not seen before. Looks to me like a side entrance!

The overall dimensions look to be 12 inches at the rear, and 2 foot 6 at the front. 2 feet deep and 3 feet wide. Roomy!

Interestingly, this is all internal to the coop/laying house. They have an enclosed nest box with a hinged lid, all within a building. No "exterior" access to the nest box.