What size for nesting boxes ?

[smcgill]

What size in general do you give for nesting ?
10"X 12" or something like that ?
Can you stack them like two high?
I have 7 older hens (non laying now)
I have 10 new chicks and @ some point they will all be together..
Will six nesting boxes be enough ?

 

[DobieLover]

What size in general do you give for nesting ?
10"X 12" or something like that ?
Can you stack them like two high?
I have 7 older hens (non laying now)
I have 10 new chicks and @ some point they will all be together..
Will six nesting boxes be enough ?

3 nesting boxes would be enough for that flock.
10x12 is a bit small for many LF chickens but it would work. They might get some tatty looking tails due to rubbing up against the box walls. They also need some height to them as the chicken stands up just before she drops the egg.
Because I like to keep a thick bed of chopped straw in my boxes for the birds to make a bowl in, my nest boxes are 12"Wx14"Dx18"H. I put about 4 inches of chopped straw in. After it's been formed the height of the nesting material drops to about 2 inches or less.

 

[Acre4Me]

Herr are our redesigned boxes:

two larger boxes for the larger breeds like BJG: approx 16” wide. The upper boxes (with perch tail on other side) are very popular and are approx 10-11” wide and about 12”tall. The bottom boxes are less popular bc they are less private. I plan to add curtains or some wood to make the entrance on the other side a bit more private.

 

[0die]

I started with 3 boxes, 12x12, for 7 hens...they only use the same box. no matter if 2 are empty, they will jam into the box that is already being used...

now I have 3 - 12x18 boxes and they still all cram into a single box. as many as 3 hens at once. not always the same box everyday, but whatever box the first hen picks they all want to use that one.

when I have time I will probably convert the space into two 18x18 boxes...

 

[aart]

Herr are our redesigned boxes:

That egg is gonna fall and break!!

 

[aart]

I like them all in a row.

Mounted on interior wall makes gathering easypeasy.

 

[Acre4Me]

That egg is gonna fall and break!!

that egg is fake! However, I would personally prefer a lip on that side. The builder thinks it’s “just fine”, so I still need to do a little convincing. Maybe an egg will fall onto builder’s foot and provide the proper amount of convincing...

 

[rosemarythyme]

I like boxes on the bigger side so they can turn around easily. My flock are all standard sized birds, boxes are 14.5" cubed.

 

[Alaskan]

I like using whatever junk I can find.... so, a small bookcase... etc

I like double and triple wide boxes better... for when the girls like to pack all into the "favorite"

Cardboard boxes work well too,for short term use.

 

[Rainwing]

Cardboard boxes work well too,for short term use.

My duck loved going broody whenever there was a cardboard box in the coop. When I'd walk by she'd hiss, and when I'd reach over she'd latch onto my arm with her bill like a dog and wouldn't let go, just hanging there mid-air. It hurt!!!