Roosting bar and nesting boxes

[mykpoz]

Hi,

To make a long story short...

I totally spaced out when it came to remembering I needed a roosting area.

The tractor that I built has a box that is 2'x2'x4' feet.

I am considering two options...

The first would be to put some roosting bars on one end of the roost, and to keep the nesting to the other side. Due to this oversight, I went from the planned 4 nesting boxes on each side to a 2'x2' community nesting area. I could event put a small divider to break it into 4 sections with a 3"-4" rise between the four boxes...

Here is an example of what I just described. (hopefully)



The other option is to locate one nesting box on the left side, and then have 2 nesting boxes on the other side with the roosting bars in the middle.



Are community nesting area's ok? Or do you think they would do better/like individual areas?

I appreciate your time and input.

Thanks,

P.S. sorry for the bad Paint skills, just easier then going to take pictures in the dark.

 

[Cluckinawesome]

Hi! How many hens are you planning to keep in the tractor? If I read your description correctly, the inside floor of this coop is only 24"x48", correct? That will hold very few, so it sounds like you really will only need two nest boxes. I have 5 boxes for my 14 hens in a 6x8 coop, and every day maybe two or three are used. Remember that chickens want to lay a clutch so that they can sit on a pile. And chickens lay at various times of day, so a waiting line is really unlikely! I'd divide the far end in half with a partition to make 2 12x12 areas and call it good!
Have you thought about lifting the boxes off the floor so the room underneath is available to them? If you can, that would maximize the space.

 

[mykpoz]

The coop is 4x4x8, with the nesting/brooding area occupying the top section of the coop to allow for more grass/run area.

 

[Cluckinawesome]

I think I've got it - Yep, you could fit a few in there if the whole area is free run all the time! Basically, community nests do work. The math I've read and use for roosting space is about a 10" per bird, but a little tighter is often realistic. Squeeze in the best you can but however it works out, don't worry! Clean, well fed, dry and warm - that's the magic!!