Nest boxes per chicken? PLEASE reply snd help, starting consturction soon!!

[billyb]

Hi everyone!
I'm planning out my new chicken coop right now and I need some HELP! I have 10 pet chickens and I was wondering how many nesting boxes do I need? I have 2 planned on the paper im drawing it on now, but is that enough? PLEASE hurry and reply! i need to know quick!!
Thanks,
Billy

 

[Doughie]

The most common consensus is 1 box for every 4 chickens.

 

[Renee']

I don't have individual nesting boxes. I have a community nesting area. Most people make x number of boxes per y number of chickens then all of their chickens pile into one or two nests. The community nest allows several girls to sit together without crowding. I have 16 chickens and the community nesting area is 8'x28". Yes, it's huge but it simply runs the length of my coop.

 

[The Old Whittler]

I have 10 hens and 6 nest boxes. Six just fit my design when I built my tractor. I kept my boxes closed off until I got my first egg then I opened up only three until more started laying. After a few more started laying I opened up the other three and so far my girls have only used the first three boxes that I opened and all my girls are laying now. In my opinion three boxes for ten hens is plenty. Hope this helps.

 

[Sjisty]

It doesn't really matter how many you have - they will all lay in the same one or two! I have about 40 chickens and for a while there had a dozen nest boxes. The girls were piling two and three at the same time into the same box, Now I have five double-sized boxes and everybody is happy. I removed most of the others since they were never getting used and now everybody has more room and nobody misses the old boxes.

It used to look like an airplane runway - a chicken in the box, one on the roost in front, one on the ground waiting, and one pacing in front of the coop complaining (of course leaving the nearby boxes empty because they just weren't good enough).

 

[Fred's Hens]

I don't have individual nesting boxes. I have a community nesting area. Most people make x number of boxes per y number of chickens then all of their chickens pile into one or two nests. The community nest allows several girls to sit together without crowding. I have 16 chickens and the community nesting area is 8'x28". Yes, it's huge but it simply runs the length of my coop.

I believe there is considerable wisdom in what you are doing. I've had as many as 12-14 hens insist on the same box. The community nesting idea is well worth a try.

 

[billyb]

Thanks everyone! The community nest box is a good idea but I'm afraid of some of them becoming egg eaters. because some of my older ones do eat some of their eggs. I do like the nest box that is slanted to make the egg roll so they can't eat it...

 

[gryeyes]

Thanks everyone! The community nest box is a good idea but I'm afraid of some of them becoming egg eaters. because some of my older ones do eat some of their eggs. I do like the nest box that is slanted to make the egg roll so they can't eat it...

Then you might buy a four or five nest roll-out unit from the various suppliers. I have a large flock and my hens use all different kinds of nest boxes... I've got a wall unit of 10 roll out nests and the hens use their favorites in it, three covered kitty litter boxes for the bigger ladies (but some smaller girls use 'em too) and a couple of buckets on their side attached to a wall.

 

[speedy2020]

Thanks everyone! The community nest box is a good idea but I'm afraid of some of them becoming egg eaters.

because some of my older ones do eat some of their eggs. I do like the nest box that is slanted to make the egg roll so they can't eat it...

The roll out nest box will solve your egg eating problem hen and keep them clean.

 

[jbabco50]

Does the community nest box work?