What to have prepared for my hens so they could start laying?

[Denise661]

They are around 6 months I. Have no nest or anything. Do they lay just in the dirt? Do I need to buy ot built something? Can you post pictures of what you have on yours.

 

[TallChickMagnet]

When I first got my girls it took me 3 weeks to get their nesting box put together. They scratched holes in the dirt to lay their eggs. It was a different spot every time.

 

[bluegiantsc]

when my hen was about 3 months old, i built her next boxes. i took a tall round bean crate and cut it in half and used both of the halves in the house they sleep in. i nailed them to the wall so they wouldn't tip over and put some pine bedding in the bottom and a little bit of timothy hay from my rabbit so they were nice and comfortable. and she's been laying eggs in one of the boxes since she was 8 months old. you don't have to buy a nest box, just find something or build something thats sturdy enough and big enough for your hens.
i think its like 2 hens per box or something like that? i only have one hen, so i have an extra box. good luck!

 

[Mountain Bear]

From what I read, the nests are more for us since we like to find eggs in a clean place, high enough that we don't need to bend over and out of the dirt. If she is ready to lay I don't think she can stop it whether you have a nest or not. The nest can be pretty simple, a quick search on either Google or Youtube will get you started.