Question for those who have "2 floors nests"

[Kamus Brazil]

I'm planning to build my first coop and I got this question for those who already have it done with two floors nests: do hens go to the upper nests or lower nests mostly? Or it varies depending on each hen/day/humor for example? My area here is quite larte and I could easly make all nests I want in a straight row but I don't know if they like to lay eggs on top or down or whatever...


Still another idea comes from my mind: a hall of nests would work? Or they would only lay on the first nest ignoring the rest?
Something like this:

___|___|___|___|___|__|<---- nests
entrance ----->____________________|
___|___|___|___|___|__|<----nests


I kinda want to build something original

and I'm wondering if this would work

.

Thanks ^^

 

[barg]

With 9 hens you should only need 2-3 nest boxes at the most.

 

[Kamus Brazil]

The sketch was just a sample..

Ok make it:
___|___|<---- nests
entrance ----->_______|
___|___|<----nests

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

I have some heavy duty commercial nest boxes that I bought from the chicken farmer down the road.They are galvy steel.Alot better than the wood ones I made that ended up getting burnt at the campsite cuz they were rotted and punky.These u just unscrew of the wall and presure wash um.They are double stacked with 5 boxes on the top and 5 on the bottom.Ive noticed that the RiR's dont like to get in the top boxes.The black sexys go to the top.The red sexys go everywere including on the floor,in the food dish?????

 

[V Chic Chick]

At the city farm where I work, we have this system:

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| <-- nestboxes
____________ <-- floor

Half the time they choose to just lay on the floor underneath the nestboxes, which is a bit like a communal nest.

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Thats true.I found mine go were ever also,except the rir.Im sure what ever method u choose they will be happy with.

 

[Gracefulspice]

Mine have laid on the floor in a nest they built. Have laid in a drawer box I put in there that is on the floor. Have laid in the upper nest too. It does seem they like to surrounded by a wall and a top. The floor one is in the darkest area of the coop. At this time they are in the nest box up top that is nothing more then a shelf with a lip, pine shavings, front wall back wall and top. I sent a pic .

Mine seem to change where they lay from time to time. Mabey they bored of the same routeen too.

 

[Kamus Brazil]

Thanks Gracefulspice and V Chic Chick.. very important infos to me.

Ill post pics when i finish mines.

 

[2mnypets]

We have a total of 8 nest boxes for 14 hens. Over kill I know but my husband wanted to make sure that there were enough just in case some didn't want to share. We have two rows and most of ours like the bottom row. However, we do have one New Hampshire Red that loves the top right nest. She just flies from the roost (located to the right of the nest boxes) to the nest and then flies down to the ground when she is done. This is our set up.

__ __ __ __ Nest boxes

__ __ __ __ Nest boxes

___________ Floor

 

[foxtrapper]

Mine showed no preference for the upper or lower nesting boxes. Both levels would get used about equally.