Nesting boxes & coop

[TawneyVeez]

I'm wondering if nesting boxes are in the coop or separate? I've seen it both ways. I would like input as to what the experts here at BYC consider the best option, please.

 

[redinator]

I have both. I have a hen house in the main yard, outside the run, and an 8-bay nest box in the run.

I did this because when I start collecting eggs from specific pullets/hens they'll be confined for a few weeks until I get the eggs I want.

They all prefer the henhouse, but will lay in the nest box if I confine them when I'm doing work around the yard.

 

[kattabelly]

The best option will be whatever works for you and your birds.

For the chickens that will probably be based on things like how safe a spot feels, how well hidden, how busy the area surrounding it is, how light/dark/warm/cold/wet/dry it is...

For you, things like how you access the nest will probably be more important (do you have to crawl under a roost? Contort yourself into impossible shapes to reach inside a mini coop? Stand out in the rain to access nests from the outside wall of a coop that isn't inside a covered run?)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum, glad you joined!

I'm wondering if nesting boxes are in the coop or separate? I've seen it both ways. I would like input as to what the experts here at BYC consider the best option, please.

Yes, you have seen it both ways. Either way can work. "Best" is going to depend on your specific situation. Some of the things I'd consider are:

You want the nests to stay dry whether they are inside the coop or outside. How you build them could make a difference.

How cold do you get? Are the eggs less likely to freeze if the nest is inside the coop or outside?

How safe from predators are the nests? Lots of things eat eggs. Many can come inside an open pop door so being inside a coop is not always a guarantee. I've had hens hide a nest in the bushes, lay a lot of eggs, and then hatch them without egg-eating predators being a problem but how do you feel about where they nests will be? Egg-eating predators could be dogs, snakes, or many wild animals. I don't know where you are so I have no idea what yours might be.

Hens need access to their nests all day long, from when they wake up until almost bedtime since they could lay at any time. Don't put the nests where they will be locked away from them.

Where is it convenient to you to collect the eggs? No need to make extra work for yourself.

Sometimes you need to train them to lay in the nests. That often involves locking them in the nests or near them. That may be easier to do if the nests are in a coop.

That's all I can think of. Good luck and once again,

 

[Mother of Chaos]

One thing to consider in smaller coops is that nest boxes in the coop eat up a lot of your square footage, since they are generally near or on the ground (below roost level.)

If you have a big walk-in coop, this might not be an issue.

 

[Penpal]

I prefer the nest boxes to be on the outside, with the hen's entrance on the inside. It's easy for me to lift the lid(s) and see if there are eggs or if there are hens in the nest. Also easier to see if the same hen is still there, suggesting she's gone broody.

Another consideration is whether you will put the nest boxes high or low. If they are high the girls are likely to roost there. If below the level of the roost they will prefer to sit on the roost.