Show us your nest boxes! Ingenous design post it here!

[kcpaull]

I need to add some nesting boxes as my 11 hens all want to lay in the same box at the same time. It's causing some tension in the flock. I have three horizontal external boxes at the moment. I tried giving them a bucket but they obviously didn't like it. I was thinking of doing some vertical ones. Does anyone have any input on whether the hens prefer horizontal to vertical or is there no difference?

 

[Beekissed]

No difference, really....but don't think that will solve your nest problem. Seems like no matter how many nests you have available, they all want the same one. Try some wooden eggs placed in 2s and 3s in the other nests to see if that resolves the problem. Sometimes if I'm near the coop in my day's choring, I'll go in there and redistribute the egg count until it's even among the nests, just to relieve that congestion at the "favorite" nest~whichever that one is at the time.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

No difference, really....but don't think that will solve your nest problem. Seems like no matter how many nests you have available, they all want the same one. Try some wooden eggs placed in 2s and 3s in the other nests to see if that resolves the problem. Sometimes if I'm near the coop in my day's choring, I'll go in there and redistribute the egg count until it's even among the nests, just to relieve that congestion at the "favorite" nest~whichever that one is at the time.

I can attest that that. There are THREE nest boxes in this coop that currently has only SEVEN hens. This is what I see if I try to collect eggs during the day:



And here, if you look carefully, you'll realize there are THREE in this one.

- Ant Farm

 

[kcpaull]

These are the original 3 nest boxes with the olive colored fake eggs in with the days' collection of eggs.


These are the two new nest boxes I put up in the corner to the left of the original boxes. I put a fake egg in each before leaving for the evening. These are a temporary stopgap until I can build more external boxes. However, if these hens are anything like my cats, they will like these boxes better than the originals. Old bookcase getting a new life.

 

[henmania]

Ahh man! Everyone has such nice coops and nesting boxes. I made one with my father today and was hoping to show everyone and get their opinions (honest, harsh if need be lol).

(The door is to close when it's rainy which is most of the time since we're in London)

What does everyone think of it? I have two hens which I'm hoping they'll share. My hens (buff Orpington's) haven't laid yet, they're way over 6months and are huge. One recently started squatting every time I put my hand over her and is clucking 24/7 so I thought let me get them a box to lay if they're going to.

Ps. Our coop is quite small, so the box is outside next to it.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I have 5 girls, had 2 "nests" but they all prefer this one, have seen 4 in at once and I'm sure 5 would fit! I removed the second nest & the dust bath under the nest since they prefer the dirt. 4 lay in the early morning the last prefers laying early afternoon, after they have their noon snack.

 

[AnnetDahab]

I like our nesting boxes - I can't take credit for them, because they were built by the owner of the property we're renting - because you can collect the eggs without having to enter the run. In our case that involves going through the duck run to get to the chicken run..

 

[critterkeeper83]

Just added these to my new chicken tractor build. Hope they like them after I add bedding. My "test chicken" (sitting on the perch in the pic) got in one but didn't like the slippery bottom.

The silkie at the bottom was not interested in being my test chicken. She doesn't consider herself a chicken. She's just the spoiled puffy pet!

No amount of bribery or begging could get her to cooperate!

 

[AprilDrake]

Just built this for my new flock

 

[SuziQ18]