Nesting Box Height???

[CSolis]

My DH built nesting boxes for me today but I am worried they are too high off the floor of the coop at 3 feet. I don’t know if that will be too high for my pullets to fly up to use. The poop boards are at 3 feet with roosts above that so that is not an issue (there is a ramp for them to get up there). My 15 pullets will be 17 weeks on Monday. Do you think these will be okay? View attachment 2348661View attachment 2348662View attachment 2348663View attachment 2348665
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Nice work!

 

[Chicklady707]

I wasn’t going to. The eggs are supposed to roll back so there is some cardboard on the bottom to “cushion” the egg falling. Hopefully this will be comfy enough for the pullets to want to use the boxes.

Almost all chickens can fly up three feet to land on a bar. (Exceptions may include Silkies, Frizzles, and extreme meat types like Cornish Cross.)

I have none of those breeds you mentioned and don’t plan on getting those breeds so glad you believe the chickens should be able to use them. Thanks for your input!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Thank you for replying! Yes, we were trying to decide between individual “boxes” and the community type. It ended up to be a mixture of both. The middle divider works as a support. If there are pecking issues, we’ll have to add 2 more dividers.

I put the 5 gallon pails into the rungs of a ladder and two hens will be in one pail at a time especially when a hen just can't wait any longer for the other hen to get out of her usually spot. Once they start laying they tend to always lay in the same nesting box. They will both lay an egg in the same pail at one time (they each have their own personality!).

Depending on the breed of chickens you have, it looks like 3 chickens could fit on each side of the divider comfortably. I hope in about 3 weeks you will have your first eggs!!! And I love the old barn look of the nesting boxes! My entire coop has this same look to blend in with the detached garage that the coop is attached to.

 

[Chicklady707]

If they start nesting on the ground you may want to add some shavings, straw, old towels, fake grass....really anything comfy to encourage nesting.

Okay, I will keep that in mind if I have issues. Thank you! This is my first flock so appreciate all input and suggestions.

 

[Chicklady707]

I put the 5 gallon pails into the rungs of a ladder and two hens will be in one pail at a time especially when a hen just can't wait any longer for the other hen to get out of her usually spot. Once they start laying they tend to always lay in the same nesting box. They will both lay an egg in the same pail at one time (they each have their own personality!).

Depending on the breed of chickens you have, it looks like 3 chickens could fit on each side of the divider comfortably. I hope in about 3 weeks you will have your first eggs!!! And I love the old barn look of the nesting boxes! My entire coop has this same look to blend in with the detached garage that the coop is attached to.

I cannot believe 2 hens fit at once! Lol! The nesting boxes are built into the connecting wall of our 45x104 foot barn and the milk house.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I cannot believe 2 hens fit at once! Lol! The nesting boxes are built into the connecting wall of our 45x104 foot barn and the milk house. View attachment 2348731View attachment 2348732View attachment 2348733View attachment 2348734

Lovely flock!!
You may want to turn your 2x4 roosts so that the larger side is the part the flock will roost on. This will help on those -0F weeks, the larger side allows the flock to literally sleep with their feathers covering their feet so that they don't get frostbite. I also insulated my coop, but it will still get cold in the coop especially if we have a worse winter than last year (the corn tassels are very high this year, and and old wives tales states that the height of the tassels is how much snow we will get that winter).

 

[K0k0shka]

My only thought would be if they'll have enough landing distance hopping down from the nest box bar. It's hard to see from the picture, but it looks like there's something very close in front of the nesting box (wall/doorway). They won't have trouble flying up, but they may need a bit of a runway to fly down, or they'll crash into the wall in front.

 

[CluckerFamily]

My only thought would be if they'll have enough landing distance hopping down from the nest box bar. It's hard to see from the picture, but it looks like there's something very close in front of the nesting box (wall/doorway). They won't have trouble flying up, but they may need a bit of a runway to fly down, or they'll crash into the wall in front.

I didn't notice this at first.
How far is it between the wall and the nesting boxes?
Would it be a good idea to install another box bar but on the wall that is perpendicular to the nesting boxes or parallel to the ramp by the nesting boxes so that the chickens could jump on that shorter bar and walk over to the nesting box bar?

 

[Chicklady707]

Nice work!

Thank you! My husband just used what we had lying around to construct these along with a box of unwanted hardware from the neighbor.

 

[Chicklady707]

Lovely flock!!
You may want to turn your 2x4 roosts so that the larger side is the part the flock will roost on. This will help on those -0F weeks, the larger side allows the flock to literally sleep with their feathers covering their feet so that they don't get frostbite. I also insulated my coop, but it will still get cold in the coop especially if we have a worse winter than last year (the corn tassels are very high this year, and and old wives tales states that the height of the tassels is how much snow we will get that winter).

Good point! I will try to turn the 2x4’s before it gets too cold. Oh no, I hope we don’t get too much snow.