Nesting boxes 3-4 feet high?!?

[below_gravity]

Did I screw up? I put my nesting boxes up last weekend and have them 3-4 feet off the ground....like chest high (so maybe even 4-5 feet) so that it would be easy for me to get the eggs out. I was going to put the perches at about 5 feet. Is this way to high?!?!

 

[Opa]

You can bend over much easier than the chickens can fly up. Larger breed would never go that high to nest. My nest box is 3 nest wide and 2 high. the size of the individual nests are 12x14x18" tall. I have it placed so that the lip of the bottom nest is 18" from the floor and the heavy breed never use the top nests.

 

[schoebel_taylor]

That sounds like about the height i have mine at and it works totally fine for me. Theyve been like that for the last year and ive never had a problem.

 

[Zahboo]

I'd say they are too high, but see if your chickens will use them. Usually people but them 18" up or so.

 

[lux_interior]

5 feet may be too high for the only perch depending on your breed... the nest boxes might be fine where they are, but inaddition to everything you have, maybe you could add one or two more perches, at maybe 2 and 3 1/2 feet, so they have a "ladder" of perches....??

 

[below_gravity]

Sorry I should have said i have RIRs and BOs. It will be real easy to lower the boxes..i feel kinda dump for not asking before hand.... Do you think I should just wait and see if they will use them or at least move them down a foot?

is 5 feet for the perch ok?

They will being going out to the coop with this weekend (5wks) or next (6wks) depending on the weather.

 

[schoebel_taylor]

Quote:
I have RIR and they dont have a problem getting up there. I would just leave it to see if they use it and if they dont you can always lower it.

 

[scooter147]

They shouldn't have a problem the first year but once they start getting that middle aged tummy

it might be quite the leap.

As time goes by if you find eggs in the corner of the coop it's time to lower them a bit or place a bale of hay in front of the nest boxes as a booster.

My first row of nest boxes start at three feet (for my convienence) and even my EXTREMELY big black austroLOPS don't have a problem jumping/flying three feet.

 

[below_gravity]

Quote:
Thank you all for the input! I will check when I get home and see how high they reallly are but its sounds like I should lower them about a foot! Thanks!