Nest boxes

[mpoland33]

I'm at the stage in my coop build where I'm figuring out the wall the best box will go. Inside to inside of the 2x4 supports is 41 inches. I want to use the whole span. Even though it's not needed, I want to put 3. Seems like. A dumb question to me but can it be more than 12 inches wide. Someone told me no but don't understand the reasoning

 

[17 chickens]

It is fine if it's over 12"! I have a couple of my hens using my duck nesting boxes and they are 24-30" in size.
Then I will have 2 hens using the 12" nesting boxes at the same time.

 

[squadleader]

Community nest boxes are best, chickens don't care about having a private nest box. Mine is 24 inches wide, and 11.5 inches deep. There's two or three hens in there many times.

However, do yourself a huge favor and build or buy a roll out nesting box. No poppy straw, and the eggs the eggs roll out where the hens can't eat them, and the eggs are very clean.

Here's a link from last weekend, she built her own roll out nest box. I'm not as handy and bought mine from HenGear.com for $119.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/im-not-carpenter-but-im-proud.1220012/

This nesting box is a rear roll out, the egg collection box is on the outside of the chicken tractor. It's 24 inches wide, and is rated for up to twenty hens, I have 12 and it works great for them.

The bottom is slanted to the rear, and is half inch hardware cloth, covered in a astro turf mat with long grass. Dirt and debris falls through the mat and wire, onto the ground.

Egg collection box.

One box works great and get a roll out. Read that thread.

 

[mpoland33]

This is fantastic. I've never seen one of these before. Definitely going to make one. So they just go directly on the wood to lay their eggs?

 

[Toothpick]

I’ve got 6 hens in 1 coop. 3 nest boxes. They all use the same one. In a year of laying I’ve never found an egg in the other 2 boxes. Obviously they lay at different times. But if you have a lot of hens it might be best to provide multiple boxes. Def. can be over 12”

I really like the set up that squadleader is using. That’s brilliant.

 

[Hokum Coco]

can nest boxes be more than 12 inches wide.

Certainly 12" is just a rule of thumb and a standard size. Lots of nest boxes are 16"wide due to the placing of studs on outside walls. Other owners have community nest boxes than can house more then one bird at once and are of assorted sizes.

 

[Hokum Coco]

can nest boxes be more than 12 inches wide.

Certainly 12" is just a rule of thumb.

 

[aart]

So they just go directly on the wood to lay their eggs?

No, you need some padding.
Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/FarmTek-Chicken-Nest-Pad-Gray/dp/B00BTYNXCS

Nests are best at minimum 12 x 12 x 12tall...mine are 14 x 14 x 16tall.

 

[jthornton]

My roll out nest box is 36" wide and I just have carpet runner for a liner.


JT

 

[squadleader]

What JT built is great and works well. Some people use half inch hardware cloth for the bottom, then put the astro turf mat on top of the hardware cloth.

That allows a lot of the dirt and debris the chickens track into the box, to filter down through the mat and hardware cloth, and onto the ground, both are designed to allow stuff through.

JT just takes out his mat once in a while and shakes it.

I can't remember if he did it with his, but with his system, you could also leave a one inch open slot across the whole front of the box, where the chickens come in, and when you take out the the mat, or even if you don't take out the mat, just use a whisk brush, to brush any dirt, or heaven forbid, poop, into the open slot, and onto the ground. The slot is way too small for an egg to fall through, or to bother the chickens.