Newbie! Nest box/coop question

[sukochickens]

So this may be a stupid question, but I've read that you're supposed to raise the nest boxes in the coop. How high should I raise them and how do the chickens get in them? Do they just jump in, need a ramp, or use the roosting polls? Lol. Also I have a roughly 4 foot fence around my yard. Will they be able to get over it? I wanted to let them roam the yard for a bit during the day. Thanks!

 

[Judy]

No, you don't have to raise them. I have them at floor level and a foot or so higher. Some hens prefer each height. In nature, they generally nest in places like under a bush.

4' will not keep most chickens in if they want out.

 

[sukochickens]

My husband wants to raise them, I think for added floor space. I just want to make sure we don't put them to high so the hens can't get into them. I plan on getting barred rocks. I know they're a bit on the heavier side. Do you think they could still get over the fence? I don't worry about our neighbors complaining but we live back off of a busy road and I wouldn't want them to wander down there. I guess I'll just have to watch and see what they do. I don't plan on leaving them unattended much when they're out anyway. We live by water and I've seen hawks.

 

[21hens-incharge]

My husband wants to raise them, I think for added floor space. I just want to make sure we don't put them to high so the hens can't get into them. I plan on getting barred rocks. I know they're a bit on the heavier side. Do you think they could still get over the fence? I don't worry about our neighbors complaining but we live back off of a busy road and I wouldn't want them to wander down there. I guess I'll just have to watch and see what they do. I don't plan on leaving them unattended much when they're out anyway. We live by water and I've seen hawks.

I found that if the nest boxes are raised and protrude into the coop the hens tended to lay UNDER not in them. I also know that my heavy birds will easily clear a 4 foot fence. (poor garden took a very bad hit when they hopped right in)
Hawks are another matter that make letting them out unattended very risky IMHO.

Here is a pic of my nest boxes so you can see how they get in the higher ones.


I have a 2x2 for a landing spot since they like to inspect the boxes before entering.

 

[sukochickens]

Thanks! I'll have to tell my husband about them laying under the boxes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh and the dish pans make cleaning the nests a snap as well as the shelves they sit on for the uppers are removable to help clean any shavings that get pushed out.
Under the nest box was a pain in my rear since I had to kneel in the shavings to hunt for the eggs. That is why I built this kind of set up for them with the new coop.

 

[sukochickens]

This has helped a lot! Thank you! I told my husband about them laying under the boxes and he said, "well we don't want that. I guess I won't raise them." We're going to have 6 boxes all in a row. So they won't be stacked on top of each other.