Nesting boxes

[chicksinthemachine]

I have 7 or 8 hens( the jury is still out on one) how many and how big should their nest boxes be. Any info would be great. First time building and really haven't got a clue. Thanks.

 

[t-dawg]

Well, are they standard or Bantams?

 

[chicken_angler]

You should have about three or four boxes and they should all be about 12 inches wide by 12 inches tall by 12 inches deep. They dont have to be that exact size but they need to be close so the hens will be able to fit in the boxes comfortably.

 

[chicksinthemachine]

They are standards. I was talking to my father-in-law and he said something about using 5 gallon buckets cut down to size. What do you all think about this idea?

 

[chicken_angler]

I have seen many people use those and they say they work good.

 

[dixiechick]

I have 12x12x12 nesting boxes...and those work good.

My dad's hens have chosen his turned-over 5-gallon buckets on his farm.

 

[jaymur]

Hello everybody,
I was wondering if I could tag along and ask about the placement of the boxes or buckets so that the chickens don't climb on top and get poop in or on top of them?

 

[pkeeler]

If you pitch the top enough, they won't be able to stand on it.

I used Smartpanel siding for my coop, and the pre-primed side is pretty slippery to chickens. So, I used scrap pieces of that for my nest box top. You could probably also use acrylic or other plastic.

 

[firem3]

do a search on BYC for nesting boxes. there are to many to count. I know you will get a good idea from the past posts.

 

[americana-chick]

here are my nesting boxes "if you wanted to get an idea

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