Progress into coop

[Windrider]

12 nests (2 stories) on the main back wall and 6 (2 stories) on one small side wall.

In the original post, they said there were six on the small wall.

 

[3KillerBs]

So the chickens really just lay in the nest, lay their egg, and then leave it? The 6 boxes that I do have is actually more then need still lol

Yes, unless a hen goes broody and tries to hatch chicks all they use the nest box for is laying their eggs.

 

[3KillerBs]

That opens things up nicely! Remember that you will have to run a strip of wood along the front of the nest boxes, 4" tall or so, to make a lip. Otherwise the hens will kick all the bedding out of the boxes and the eggs might even roll out.

You probably want to access the nest box from outside the coop, for collecting eggs. I like a drop down access door because it is easier to make weatherproof than a flip up roof. Like DobieLover has below, only this one is accessed from the storage part of a walk in coop. You'd need a lip of wood on the back too, if you do it this way.
View attachment 2613734

Where are you planning to put the clean out doors? The coop doesn't look tall enough for a human to stand up inside it, so you probably want to make one whole long side open up. It would still be a long reach across the 4 or 5 feet of width.

My nests open this way:

 

[jgarner1327]

I have been reading up on what everyone has been asking and the responses being given. I have embarked on owning chickens now with my son's girlfriend. We together have 18 chicks. They are in a huge trampoline box with food, water, and a heat lamp while I am building their coop. I want to make sure where I do not have it finished yet that I make any adjustments now before the roof goes on. I have build 18 nesting boxes which I was under the impression this is where they sleep but now I have learned that this is ONLY for egg laying. I will be making adjustments to the coop so that I can block these off while they are still chicks once they get transferred to this. It is 8ft long and 4 ft wide. 12 nests (2 stories) on the main back wall and 6 (2 stories) on one small side wall. I will be putting perches inside the coop after learning this is where they actually sleep. I have 2 chicks now that are able to "fly" out of the box so I'm trying to make all the finishing touches to the coop. Where I live it is still not above 65 degrees so I'm guessing that the heat lamp will need to be put in the coop with them as they adjust to the coop for a couple weeks. I will keep the nesting boxes closed off till they are laying eggs and remove the heat lamp once either majority of feathers are grown in or the weather permits. If all of this sounds like I'm in the right direction please let me know and if I need to tweek some things please also let me know. I want happy healthy chickens. What do I need to put in the nesting boxes for them to lay eggs in/on and what time do I block and remove the blocks for them to lay eggs. How much space do the chickens like between them and another on the perch, how far away from walls do the perches need to be? I guess I am just looking for some guidance to where I am not in this process and to where I'm going and end up for these ladies to be happy.

I buy a half bale of straw at the feed store every few months and put lots of straw on a shelf that has a 2x4 along the front. I have one chicken, Pinky, that is a 3-year-old New Hampshire and lays about four eggs a week, and I have four chicks, 2 Buff Orpingtons and 2 black Australorps, that will start laying in a couple months. I keep the extra straw in cardboard boxes and store it under that shelf so I can freshen the straw on the shelf. They move the straw around with their beaks and make it into a nest shape. They like a clean nest to lay the egg. Make sure their nests are clean. After they lay an egg, they stand up and crow and leave the shelf. Several chickens will use the same nest. You don't need one nest for each chicken. I bought a remnant of linoleum at a carpet store for cheap and I nailed it down to the wood floor of the coop because it's easy to sweep up and it protects the wood. My coop is 8' x11' and the ceiling is 7' high. The run is 10' x 20', plenty big enough for 5 chickens.

 

[LaceNewb]

The usual guidelines are to have 1 linear foot of roost per adult, standard-sized hen.

Sometimes it's good to have two separate roosts or an L-shaped roost so that lower-status hens can be separate from the dominant hens.

Absolutely agree with more then 1 roost. I will be putting in several since I have a huge open space for them to fill

 

[LaceNewb]

I will try and post a picture of the coop I have build later today. All my chicks are getting along great. No "picking" order has occurred. I live in Utah and this year it has just been crazy weather. I will have a huge outside area for them which will include dirt for them to bath in under the coop that will be off the ground and then the rest will be grass with lots of sunlight and shade. The coop itself is the 8ftx4ft and I added the nesting boxes to the outside so it wouldn't take up the actual room inside the coop. Thank you all for all your advise and I will talk with you all soon.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I will try and post a picture of the coop I have build later today. All my chicks are getting along great. No "picking" order has occurred.

Hopefully that continues to be the case, but be ready with a backup plan if things change as they grow and hormones kick in. Best of luck!

 

[LaceNewb]

Here is the coop I’m finishing up today. So the whole floor plan is open and I was thinking of putting roosts in front of both sets of needing boxes and not sure where to put others. Ideas? Under each roof to the next roof will be open for ventilation and I was thinking of doing a net window or something and not upper top and Piece. The big lower end is where the whole will be for them to come out

 

[rosemarythyme]

So if I leave the eggs in the nesting box or miss one that is hidden, it will hatch?! I thought there had to be something else done to the egg to get an actual chick from the egg. OMG just typing that I totally am a newbie haha

Only if you have a fertile egg being sat on day and night for 21 days.

 

[3KillerBs]

So if I leave the eggs in the nesting box or miss one that is hidden, it will hatch?! I thought there had to be something else done to the egg to get an actual chick from the egg. OMG just typing that I totally am a newbie haha

First, the egg has to be fertile.

Then a hen actually has to become broody and sit on the nest to incubate it.