nest boxes

[SixChickFlock]

Quote:

This is exactly what I was thinking... 6 hens should do fine with 3 nests.

I have one hen, the first to lay, who will not let anyone use "her" nest. The next three to lay were fine sharing the other two nests, though the last one made a nest outside the coop for her first two eggs. Number 5 first used the outside nest, then one of the shared 2 nests, and now has fashioned a nice nest inside the coop near the rest of the nests. Today she sat in her new nest first, checked out the two shared nests, skipped the private nest and quickly laid a green egg in her own nest.

I think I'm gonna add a new nest today, maybe 2 more!

 

[patti17340]

• it turns out I have more than enough room . all of the chickens roost on the top rung. they sit snug as a bug right up next to each other . there is still room on the ends. Not one of them sits on the lower rung even though it is a good 2 1/2 ft off the floor.

I would suggest min 18 in so there is enough headroom below for chickens. With the double tier nests, the roost is going to be pretty high.

I agree with other posters that not all 6 nests will be used.

My question is, you have total of 10 ft of roost, has that been enough for 18 birds? I don't exactly subscribe to the conventional notion of 1ft per bird, so I am curious how your ratio is working.