Opinion on nesting boxes

[HappyHStead]

So you just ended up catching them at the right time to put them in a box, Renee? I only have one laying right now (just started 2 weeks ago) and she keeps laying from the roost. This happens ar various times throughout the day, not just before she gets up and moving. For 6 birds, we have 2 nest boxes: one with hay and golf balls, the other with straw and ceramic eggs and I put one of her eggs in this one, too, until it froze and cracked. Both boxes have curtains. The 2 buff orpingtons and the RIR are interested in the boxes but Luttrell, a light brahma, is not. I tried putting her in one and she stood half in and half out for a minute or two and then toddled off. I can't seem to catch her in the act and am hoping she just doesn't understand her body's cues yet.

 

[aart]

So you just ended up catching them at the right time to put them in a box, Renee? I only have one laying right now (just started 2 weeks ago) and she keeps laying from the roost. This happens ar various times throughout the day, not just before she gets up and moving. For 6 birds, we have 2 nest boxes: one with hay and golf balls, the other with straw and ceramic eggs and I put one of her eggs in this one, too, until it froze and cracked. Both boxes have curtains. The 2 buff orpingtons and the RIR are interested in the boxes but Luttrell, a light brahma, is not. I tried putting her in one and she stood half in and half out for a minute or two and then toddled off. I can't seem to catch her in the act and am hoping she just doesn't understand her body's cues yet.

Try taking the curtain down and the fake egg out of one...I had a pullet that didn't like the fake egg, as soon as I took it out she laid in there.

Are the nests big enough for her to get in and turn around easily?
Again same pullet... didn't like the 5 gallon bucket nests because she couldn't turn around in without really bending her tail.

 

[HappyHStead]

Thanks, aart, but we tried the empty nest, too, and the curtains have been up only 2-3 days. Our boxes are weird, kind of a box in a bigger box. I did take the inner box out of one because I thought they might be too small for the brahmas and she can get in there easily enough, which she did once a week or so ago. The orpingtons are nosy enough to show me that they both can fit in the smaller one at the same time (tightly) so I suspect the brahmas could go in there, too, but perhaps not freely turn around. I did put a box down where the egg was dropping also to see if she would like it there, but no.

We use the deep litter method for winter and padded the supports under her roost on Thu, so at least this morning's egg wasn't cracked...at least until I dropped it with my big fat winter gloves, lol. Tomorrow should be a late morning or early afternoon egg, so maybe I will just grab a lawn chair and hang out in the coop for a while to relocate her from roost to box?

 

[HappyHStead]

This morning I did catch Luttrell at the right time: hopping back up to her roost and making a racket. So I grabbed her and put her in the bigger nesting box (now with no fake eggs in it). She scratched around and made herself at home right away, an hour later we had a cute little egg in a nesting box. Hopefully she remembers the location next time!

 

[Bill1st]

You could aways use a 5gal home depot orange bucket like Goldie!

 

[dthompson]

Fronts of my nest boxes are covered with plywood with a hole for entry.....makes it a little darker, holds in the bedding and looks cool IMO.
A perch in front of nests can surely help, a necessity if they're off the floor very far.
I used golf balls in nest when I got my adult flock, tho the rooster actually got into a double nest to show them where to lay.
My new layers wouldn't use the nest until I took the golf balls out.

This is a solid model of my main coop nests with back access(dividers aren't shown).
Dimensions for each division is 14" wide, 16" tall and 14" deep, hole is 10" diameter centered 7" from top.



This is the nest I just cobbled together yesterday for my junior coop...have 2 just starting to lay.
I was using a 5 gallon bucket here but felt it was just a little small for comfortable maneuvering.
Dimensions are 14" wide, 16" tall and 16" deep, hole is 10" diameter centered 7" from top.

Do you have outside access to this nest box above? thanks - Dana




wood with a hole for entry.....makes it a little darker, holds in the bedding and looks cool IMO.

 

[aart]

Quote: Well, egg gathering access is outside the coop, but inside a building.....see My Coop Page....

 

[Strangecacti]

My nest boxes: on the left are two old kitchen cabinets, the six boxes on the right are made from an aquarium stand (plywood) I made years ago, I just partitioned it and hung it up. Are they too high? I keep seeing boxes much closer to the floor. The lower left box is only a foot off the ground, the dirt floor of the barn rises to the right in this pic and the far right box is approx 3 feet off the floor. Ten boxes are plenty I believe(I have 28 or 30 chickens, depending on how much they move around while I do a head count lol).

 

[aart]

My nest boxes: on the left are two old kitchen cabinets, the six boxes on the right are made from an aquarium stand (plywood) I made years ago, I just partitioned it and hung it up. Are they too high? I keep seeing boxes much closer to the floor. The lower left box is only a foot off the ground, the dirt floor of the barn rises to the right in this pic and the far right box is approx 3 feet off the floor. Ten boxes are plenty I believe(I have 28 or 30 chickens, depending on how much they move around while I do a head count lol).

IMO they are too high, mostly because you want your nests lower than your roosts and they need easy access to both.
Can't tell how big your coop is and if they have room to fly down without crashing into something.
Those nests also need perches about 8" out from the fronts..... and about 4" high front lips to keep bedding and egg inside.

 

[poultry king]

i've heard that chickens lay better in the light