Nesting Box Size

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Hello all,

I have been searching and searching and I haven’t found quite the right answer for what I’m looking for. I’m wanting to know what size of nesting boxes I need for my hands since I have four different breeds of chickens.

I have California tan, Rhode Island red, Sapphire Gem, and Wyandotte’s.

im reading that sometimes bigger isn’t better? I originally have been told 16X16 but some articles say 18x18.

should I build both sizes and let them decided what they want?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Your hens are of average large fowl sizes so a 16x16x16 cube will work well. If you want a bit smaller a 14 wide, 16 deep by 16 high should work as well.

Most premade nests are 12" cubes and are in my opinion to small.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Your hens are of average large fowl sizes so a 16x16x16 cube will work well. If you want a bit smaller a 14 wide, 16 deep by 16 high should work as well.

Most premade nests are 12" cubes and are in my opinion to small.

I felt like a 12x12 was going to be much too small but you also can’t find the average height for those breeds via google either so I felt at a loss.
Too small would be a problem but I feel too big could also be just as problematic.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have 3 heights available for my "average LF birds".

I made one set at 14" tall, one at 16" and one at 18". So far they prefer the 16" height. Mine use dish pan liners and are 13" wide by 16" front to back. I would have gone wider but the dish pans were to loose fitting at 14" wide.

 

[TillyPeeps]

I have 14 wide, 18 deep by 18 high nesting boxes for my girls. They work really well. I think 14 wide, 16 deep by 18 high should be ok. I wouldn't make it too low, because some girls like to stand to lay. I often have 2 girls laying in the same box together, because it's the favorite (even though there are 3 empty identical ones besides it)!

 

[aart]

14 x 14 x 16 works here.

More pics here, including a detailed drawing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/nests.7427682/

 

[Farmgirl1878]

We built ours with removable dividers. It’s just a thin piece of wood that slides into the notched 2”x4” attached to the back wall of the nest box. Each nest box can divide into three sections that are about 14”x14” or so. They are on the floor level of the coop. Since the coop is raised off the ground, I can easily collect eggs from the outside.

I love that I can take the dividers out when a bunch of girls are trying to crowd into one box or when someone goes broody. I’ve had two hens raise a total of eleven chicks right in the nest box and I still have plenty of room for the rest of the Flockers to lay their eggs!

 

[MommaHen1996]

My 10 pound Bielefelders will only use the 2ft by 2ft boxes, while my smaller legbar will use a mediumship box, and my youngest pullet uses the smallest box, stacked my nesting boxes on top of each other like a hotel, so my smaller chickens could move over for my heavier breeds.