Placement of nest box

[Patoot]

I have a decent size coop I have almost ready for the chickens. It's 5 1/2 ft squared. The tricky part is the placement of the nesting box in relation to the food/water. I want to put all three on one side of the coop because I'm making a long door/hatch type thing so I will be able to just open it up and reach in to the nest box and refill water and food. There is enough room for it, but I don't know if the nest box area should be less crowded. I can make changes if I need to, but this is by far the easiest way for me to feed and collect eggs. Do they produce more eggs if the box is off in a less busy corner? Not that they have a lot of room to choose. They will be free range most of the time I hope, but I want to set it up right.

If you can picture 5 1/2 feet horizontally...a hanging feeder and hanging waterer will be on the left but next to each other, then the nesting box(es). I am making the nesting boxes from a rubbermaid bin and I will divide it in half to make two boxes. I can put the box to face the food or away from it, but either way it will be right next to it. I can get a smaller rubbermaid bin and only make one nest box. I will have 4 RIR.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Bree

 

[3forfree]

Hang the nest boxes outside after opening one of the walls to fit. There's lots of pics on links at the top of the page. Check out coop designs, and learning center, there's lots to look at.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

i dont know how many chickens i have now. but can you make your nest boxes hang out of your coop like this pic
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=57167 where the cat is located and it will free up more more in your coop

 

[ScotH]

I'm planning on putting my nest box on the side as well, it'll probably be undivided (communal) and about 3' wide.
It'll add a bit more cost and weight to my tractor, but I think the extra space in the coop will be well worth it and the girls won't be able to perch on it...
My coop design is around 3-1\\2' D x 6' W and 4' tall (I'm planning for just 4 or 5 hens max.)

Edit:

I'm going to use a nest box similar to Gallo del Cielo's:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638