Nest box location

[riftnreef]

I'm building a temporary pen in my garage and don't know if I should put the nest boxes towards the top, or closer to the ground?

 

[jafo]

two feet off the ground is all I'd go, with a perch in front of them.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Low would be better than high. Although I have 4 nest boxes stacked 2 then 2 on top. The bottom one is about 14 inches off the ground, the top would then be 26 inches off the ground. The chickens have only used the upper boxes. But both sets are lower than than the lowest roost, which is about 3' off the ground.

Although the girls all checked them out on the same day after being in the coop for 6 WEEKS, they have only used the top boxes to actually lay eggs in.

 

[riftnreef]

Do they seem to prefer them off the ground?

 

[gsim]

Mine do . They only use the ones at 24" ht. The two on floor are unused. the roosts are at 24" and 48" ht on opposite walls. All but two or three chooks get up on the top roosts in evening. The stragglers are relegated to nests or lower roosts. And they are always the same three RIR for some reason. They always come in latest of the 24 birds I have. Supposed to have nests lower than at least one roost.