nest box

[leos-mama]

i got my house from a local farmer and it is a really nice construction but having had it a home a fortnight I am not sure it is meeting mine or the hens needs. It is a straight forward construction of a raised house with a run at the side and underneath, with access from underneath. Inside the house is a removable roost with 2 roost rungs which he says will hold 6 full size birds (as will the house and run) There is no nest box just a pile of straw at the front, which one of my girls (not a clue who) is happily laying on. At night however I feel it is a bit cramped as only 3 of the girls use the roost and they seem to try not to sleep o the nest are! and the nest are is also not private or snug really. Am I best adapting the house and putting a double nest box on the side.
Lisa

 

[kstaven]

Chickens are happier with a nest box but will lay in a pile of straw if they have to.

A roost rail of 6 feet should work for 6 hens.

 

[Ivywoods]

If you feel your house is a little cramped, and there is not secluded area for your hens to lay eggs in, I would definitely consider putting in a nest box of some kind. Without a picture of your chicken house it is hard to say just how it should be done. Yours sounds somewhat like what I call a chicken tractor.

Hens always prefer a little seclusion for laying their eggs, and a small enclosure inside the house, or one added to the side will probably make them happy. If their only choice is to lay in the open part of the box, you will be getting dirty eggs and sometimes broken eggs. During inclimate weather they will all be up in the housing, no matter what time of day, so eggs will get stepped on.

I'd go ahead and put some kind of a nest in there. One nest should do, but if you want two, that's okay. For my layers I use an antique community nest box. I'ts a roll out nest that the box is about 24" x 36". THIRTY hens use that same nest! They love it and so do I.

Good luck.

 

[leos-mama]

Many thanks, have aleady had one broken egg and only had 10 inc that one so not good..I cant put pics on yet but will upload one when I can! The house is quite large compared to the "import versions" I have seen for the same ammount of hens. I think with exteral nest boxes the house could easily hold another 2 hens if I extend the run. The silkie never goes on a roost and nor do the little pekins they huddle up together in a corner x Should I be putting straw under the roosts as well as in the nest area or just shavings under the roost

 

[sewandgrow]

Quote:
Good Morning Susie,
I use 5 gal PVC buckets with their lids in place & turned upside down. I cut an arch opening above the bucket rims so there is an area that holds my rice hulls/shavings/straw whatever. I set them along the outside walls of the breed pens & the girls go right to them.

 

[heidibeidi]

My chickens have a plastic milk crate as their nesting box and it works just fine. I can take it out and hose it off when needed, which is handy. I make sure there is lots of nice bedding in it, and it's in the quiet corner of the coop . . .it was supposed to be temporary, but we got lazy and now they love it.

 

[guard278th]

I use milk crates filled with hay ,my chicken prefer them over anything

 

[leos-mama]

i got a nice little plastic box today (we get mushrooms in them in UK) and since its gone in stuffed with shredded paper and straw my second girl has started to lay, result