SO many suggestions...not sure what to do!

[cblakley0531]

I've seen so many different suggestions when it comes to how many chickens per nesting boxes. I've hear 2 hens per one, 3 hens per one, etc.

We are about to start constructing our nesting boxes and I want to make sure I have enough. We have 5 hens. Suggestions? Thanks so much in advance!

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I like to pamper my hens and make them really comfy, so I would suggest 2-3 nesting boxes. Sometimes a hen (or hens) will not prefer to lay in a certain nesting box for no obvious reason, so I think it's nice to provide them with hopefully enough choices to satisfy them.

 

[cblakley0531]

Thank you so much for the feedback! I had two planned, but then was debating that third one hahaha

 

[Hokum Coco]

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We are about to start constructing our nesting boxes and I want to make sure I have enough. We have 5 hens. Suggestions? Thanks so much in advance!

Two 1ft³ boxes will be plenty or one community box 2ft³ or larger.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are no hard and fast rules. Chickens can’t read so why make up rules for them? They’re going to do their own thing anyway. All we can do is make suggestions for what might work or has worked for us.

For five hens I suggest two nests. If you build it a little big you could probably get by with one but two gives you a little bit of flexibility if you need an extra one. Sometimes a hen goes broody. Many of them will let other hens lay eggs with them but occasionally one won’t. I had a hen that was a nest hog. She wasn’t broody but she took 3 hours to lay her egg and she would not share her nest.

If you build two they will most likely all use one anyway, but that extra one occasionally comes in handy.

 

[Weasleymum]

What I've read the most often is, up to four hens to one box. All five of my hens lay in the same spot in their coop. On the new coop we're building, my husband made 3 boxes, not to fit the flock so much as to fit the building. ("Smaller would look weird. This looks right!") I really think that chickens are pretty flexible. They aren't fussy about laying conditions.

 

[cblakley0531]

Thank you!

 

[cblakley0531]

There are no hard and fast rules. Chickens can’t read so why make up rules for them? They’re going to do their own thing anyway. All we can do is make suggestions for what might work or has worked for us.

For five hens I suggest two nests. If you build it a little big you could probably get by with one but two gives you a little bit of flexibility if you need an extra one. Sometimes a hen goes broody. Many of them will let other hens lay eggs with them but occasionally one won’t. I had a hen that was a nest hog. She wasn’t broody but she took 3 hours to lay her egg and she would not share her nest.

If you build two they will most likely all use one anyway, but that extra one occasionally comes in handy.

That's kind of what I was thinking, but still wanted to do what I could to make them happy and give them enough space haha! Thanks so much!

 

[cblakley0531]

What I've read the most often is, up to four hens to one box. All five of my hens lay in the same spot in their coop. On the new coop we're building, my husband made 3 boxes, not to fit the flock so much as to fit the building. ("Smaller would look weird. This looks right!") I really think that chickens are pretty flexible. They aren't fussy about laying conditions.

Haha figures they would do that! I have to say, I ADORE that you are babywearing in your avatar!!

 

[Weasleymum]

Haha figures they would do that! I have to say, I ADORE that you are babywearing in your avatar!!

Thanks! My younger son loved being worn... he's almost 3 and l only recently stopped carting him around in an Ergo... got us through a lot of those bad late-afternoon periods.