Nesting boxes?

[aceintoledo]

When I build my coop, how many nesting boxes should I have for 6 hens?

 

[Nicole01]

I heard 1 box per 3 hens minimum. I will have 6 hens and 4 nesting areas I think. Our coop isn't finished either.

 

[BuffsareBad]

Im trying 2 for 5 hens. But it will still be a few months before I know.

 

[chick on a stick]

DH is in the process of building our coop. We have 19 chicks. I think he plans on building 10 nesting boxes.

 

[smallcitychick]

I have 6 chickens and 3 nesting boxes....BUT they all only use one of them if they can help it. Occasionally the favorite box is 'in use' when another hen wants it and she goes to the next box. If for some reason both of those boxes are full the hens will lay on the floor of the coop or run rather than lay in the 3rd box?! Aren't chickens weird?

 

[stubbornhill]

smallcitychick, mine are like yours. We have 7 hens and 3 nesting boxes. They all lay in the same one, with the occasional egg in one of the other boxes. I assume as you mentioned, that perhaps the "favorite" nesting box was occupied.

 

[Roooisin]

i have 5 hens and 4 nesting boxes.. that was just the size we built it..we have the same problem, they all lay in the one box and i've rarely found an egg in the other 3 boxes. i've seen two of my hens in the same nesting box at once, a couple of times. i think for 6 hens the 3 boxes are plenty.

 

[clayb226]

I have 10 hens, and 3 nesting boxes. This seems good for my setup. As my flock size increases, I will build a "real" coop I hope. I just used crates as my nesting boxes.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Quote:
I have three hens and three nest boxes and all will lay in the one favorite nest box. OCCASIONALLY, one will use another one. Probably out of desperation.

The other day I can home to find two eggs in the favorite nest box and the third egg just in front of it. I had a vision of one hen sitting in the nest box and one staning just outside giving her the stink eye and telling her to hurry up when all of the sudden, she couldn't wait any longer and just dropped her egg right in front of the box.

Silly Girls

 

[Caliphe]

Quote:
I have three hens and three nest boxes and all will lay in the one favorite nest box. OCCASIONALLY, one will use another one. Probably out of desperation.

The other day I can home to find two eggs in the favorite nest box and the third egg just in front of it. I had a vision of one hen sitting in the nest box and one staning just outside giving her the stink eye and telling her to hurry up when all of the sudden, she couldn't wait any longer and just dropped her egg right in front of the box.

Silly Girls