Nestbox size

[peafowl_Lover]

Is 12 inches squared a good size for nestboxes?

 

[DobieLover]

Is 12 inches squared a good size for nestboxes?

For most breeds, yes. I would make the height 16-18" so you can add a tall lip in the front of the nest box to retain a thick layer of nesting material. And to give the hen room to stand up when the egg actually exits her body.

 

[Logar]

mine have been doing fine in a 12x12x12 with 3 inches of nesting material and have been doing good. but they aren't full sized yet and that may change.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Thanks for your replies, I'm really excited to make them and put them in the new coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hens come in different sizes, from tiny Sebrights to huge Jersey Giants. A general recommendation is that a nest should be a minimum of 12" x 12" without regard to the size of the hen. That should work for all of them but you might want more for a Jersey Giant.

I made mine 16" x 16" x 16". That was because the stud spacing in my coop was 16" and 16" made fitting easy. When I cut an 8' long piece of lumber or a 4 feet wide piece of plywood into 16" pieces there is no waste, but there is not waste for a 12" cut either.

Chickens don't pull out a tape measure to make sure the nest is the right size. 12x12, 16x16, 12x18, many different sizes will work.