nesting box height

[folmar25]

just wondering is there a preferred nesting box height compared to roost height should the nesting boxes be lower then the roost

 

[chickengeorgeto]

just wondering is there a preferred nesting box height compared to roost height should the nesting boxes be lower then the roost

If the nests are lower than the roosting places your birds will roost less in the nest. (dang, I made a rhyme)

If you hen incubate your eggs, they hatch best at ground level. Therefor it behooves you to allow your hens to lay and thus sit at ground level.

Nests tend to rise in height in direct proportion to the pain that the chickens' keeper experiences in his or her back when they bend over to gather eggs. This is why it is common to see nest built onto the exterior of coops so that one can access the nest from outside the pen by raising the lid or opening a door on the top, or in the backside of the nest box. This also gives the hen the illusion that she is hidden away from the eyes of hungry egg thefts (like you or me) when she lays.

Your first question is a difficult one and there is no easy answer. It all depends on how athletically inclined you and your hens are, your hens' size, your ambition as a coop or pen builder, and if you like to make yoga poses when you gather eggs

For a breed like a game hen or leghorn (4 lbs.) a nest 4 feet off the ground will work except in the cases when it won't work. A roost 5 or 6 foot high is not too tall if the roof is 7 or 8 feet tall. So I guess that means use a ratio of 2 feet of roost height for every 3 feet of interior coop height over 6 feet tall. For larger hens (hens that I refer to as FAHs), 6 inches is about all the roost height that they can manage to climb onto yet fly down from without injuring themselves. You may find it challenging to keep this kind of hen from roosting in her nest. I can't say for sure because I don't, I never have, and I never will keep a hen that looks more like a Buda than she resembles a chicken. Sorry but we all have our little quirks.

 

[crossbowhunter5]

What About Black Jersey Giants what would be a good height to build my laying boxes ?

 

[BuffaloGamer274]

We did are nest boxes 14.5 high and 13 width and it can fit a really big Buff Orpington rooster. Then we have another row for are bantams witch are 13 high and 11 width.

 

[Granny368W]

We put our roosting bars up at 4 ft. And then went down to about 4 inches off the ground for the 4 week old babies... we have 14 Australorps.. Can anyone tell me how high off the ground should we put the nesting boxes?
Does anyone know where to buy those things in the nests so the egg rolls down and away so the chickens can't eat the eggs?

 

[BuffaloGamer274]

We put our roosting bars up at 4 ft. And then went down to about 4 inches off the ground for the 4 week old babies... we have 14 Australorps.. Can anyone tell me how high off the ground should we put the nesting boxes?
Does anyone know where to buy those things in the nests so the egg rolls down and away so the chickens can't eat the eggs?

How big is your coop. ours is up half of the coop. Ten we have one lower so it's easier for them to get up. I think are coop is 7 or 8 feet high.

 

[Granny368W]

Our hen house is 8' by 8' and has a slanted roof for the snow to go off, so it is 10' high on the back side and goes down to 8 feet...I really hope it is big enough for my 14 Australorps... they will have a large run also. .
I'm going to try and take some pictures tomorrow...

 

[Granny368W]

Does anyone here have any information or knowledge on the roll away nests? I went to EggCartons.com and they have the roll away nest replacement, do you think I could put one of those in the nests that we made with one of those mats in it? I ordered the automatic door opener today and they said we should get it this next Thursday... oh my, this heat is really bad to work in... at least I think we're getting closer to the finish line... we'll have a lot of final touches to do....ugh!!!