Nesting Boxes

[PemberleyChicks]

We are nearly finished with the coop and are trying to figure out how the chicks will get up in the boxes. They are about 12 inches off the floor. Do they need a walkway up or will they just fly/hop up in the box. Thanks for any help.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Most chickens can easily hop and flap up to that level. I am not sure about a silkie, but all my chickens have no problem with that height.

 

[Timskins]

Is there an advantage to having the nesting boxes raised instead of keeping them level with the floor?

 

[PemberleyChicks]

OK, so we should be good with no ramp, thank you Ummmm as for advantages...we did it so we could gather the eggs from the outside of the coop. It never ocured to us to keep them level with the floor. Its our first time with chickens, and we had to build the coop quickly because we ended up with 8 instead of 2

 

[Weasleymum]

Is there an advantage to having the nesting boxes raised instead of keeping them level with the floor?

Having the nest boxes a bit higher than the floor helps keep the floor litter out of the nests, if you're using litter (as opposed to a wire floor). Depending on the design of the coop, it can also be easier on the human collecting eggs; for example we're building a small coop, the kind where you collect the eggs from outside, and I'm planning the nest boxes somewhat higher than the floor so that we don't have to stoop down as far to gather eggs.

To the original poster-- if your chicks are still little, keep in mind that they won't be using the nest boxes until they're pretty much full grown; what seems like a big leap now will probably be nothing to them by then!

 

[Timskins]

Thanks for the explanations.

 

[PemberleyChicks]

Thanks Timskins, we are really new to this, I thought I might have made a mistake. BTW, nice baby wrap. I had a Maya Wrap when my kids were babies.

 

[Weasleymum]

Thanks Timskins, we are really new to this, I thought I might have made a mistake. BTW, nice baby wrap. I had a Maya Wrap when my kids were babies.

Thanks! This pic is actually almost two years old... the tiny baby will be two in a few weeks, and the toddler is almost four. SIGH. Am getting baby chickens because I can't just keep having more kids...