Nest box design and placement

[Alaskan]

This shows the bar (my nests will look different), see where it shows 12" front to back for the nests? Then doesn't gove a measurement from the front of the nest to the perch/bar/landing place. I'm not sure what to call it.

Ah.

I don't think Australops would need help to get in there, so you could probably just skip that front perch.

But if you want to have one, I would follow @aart 's advice

 

[saysfaa]

Not being a carpenter I decided to make a simple long, wide and tall box for a nest box and attached it lower than the floor of the coop so technically my coop is a bi level. The hens can simply jump down into the nest box to lay from either side of the nest box.It has 2 entrances and no dividers. It also has a louvered vent for light and ventilation.

What breed(s) do you have? A few people have talked about community nests are liked by some breeds and individual/divided nests are liked by other breeds - more consistently so than random chance would account for.

Do you have a picture of your nest? One of the things I like about the old crates is the slates instead of solid walls.

We aren't much of carpenters either. Measure four times; cut twice is pretty standard.

 

[McChooky]

What breed(s) do you have? A few people have talked about community nests are liked by some breeds and individual/divided nests are liked by other breeds - more consistently so than random chance would account for.

Do you have a picture of your nest? One of the things I like about the old crates is the slates instead of solid walls.

We aren't much of carpenters either. Measure four times; cut twice is pretty standard.

I can take a picture tomorrow ok? I have 5 Dominiques and 1 barred rock hatched April 7th and get 5 small eggs a day.They started laying at 20 weeks old.

 

[saysfaa]

I went 8".
Detail drawing and pics in my nests album.

Sounds like you would use distance again. I like yours - especially the round entrance but I don't think I can cut it with the tools we have.

 

[aart]

Sounds like you would use distance again. I like yours - especially the round entrance but I don't think I can cut it with the tools we have.

I did replace the 2x2 perch with a 2x4 because of a clutzy brahma,
but yes it's worked out very well.
Used a jig saw to cut the circles.

 

[McChooky]

I can take a picture tomorrow ok? I have 5 Dominiques and 1 barred rock hatched April 7th and get 5 small eggs a day.They started laying at 20 weeks old.

 

[aart]

Not your usual 'nests'....more like a separate room in the coop.
Put some fake eggs in there.

 

[McChooky]

Not your usual 'nests'....more like a separate room in the coop.
Put some fake eggs in there.

Edited:
They lay good in this large open nest but I only have 6 hens .They've used it from day one without fake eggs. What would be the purpose of my using fake eggs? I chose this style so they won't fight over the nest boxes and was able to keep all my floor space.

 

[saysfaa]

I can take a picture tomorrow ok? I have 5 Dominiques and 1 barred rock hatched April 7th and get 5 small eggs a day.They started laying at 20 weeks old.

I would do nests like yours if I could have any coop. I like it very much and have similar numbers and goals. Thank you

I would have replied to your pictures if was better at navigating the forum. Or this reply might be a mess if my attempts are part of the post.

I think fake eggs can help but are only really needed if the nest doesn't trigger significantly more instincts telling her it is a good nesting spot than the other spots available. Which might be variable - a hen with a very weak nesting instinct might go with anything close not bothering to find the best. And one with a very strong nesting instinct might try a new site even if one is clearly better.

 

[aart]

What would be the purpose of my using fake eggs?

It gives the impression that's it's a 'safe' place to lay.

I chose this style so they won't fight over the nest boxes and was able to keep all my floor space.

Maybe it's because not enough of the rest of the coop is shown,
but they/it looks to be on floor level.