Where to put my nest boxes????

[pepperlady]

I have 6 hens and a rooster. My hens should be getting close to laying and I have bought some nest boxes. I am at a loss as to where to put them. Here's my setup: Inside of our barn I have a custom built coop with a roost that I close my chickens in each night at dusk. Every morning I open the coop & let them run loose all day, every day. I had originally thought that I would put the nest boxes in the coop area, but now I am thinking that the chickens will just mess in the nest boxes from where they roost if I try to put it in there. Is there any reason that I cannot mount my nest boxes in the barn a couple of feet off of the ground since I turn them out anyways?

 

[JackE]

I have my nestboxes in the coop with no problem. Chickens like to roost at the highest point they can. As long as the roosts are higher than the boxes, you should not have to worry about fouled boxes.
Jack

 

[top of the hill]

would the next boxes be exposed to preditors?

Our boxes are a couple feet off the ground opposite the roost, been working well so far. i've also read that they should be lower than the roost so the chickens will not want to "hang out" on top of them.

 

[pepperlady]

The nest boxes would not be exposed to any more predators than my chickens are when they free range each day. Most of the predators around here I think would be more of a night time issue.

The roost would be directly above the nest boxes if I put them in their coop, so I do not see how they wouldn't get "fouled" as you say

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Quote:
X2 on being lower than the roosts. Also make sure you have the top of the boxes at an angle so the girls can't perch up there.

 

[JackE]

Well, I guess if you can't install the boxes in another part of the coop, and they have to go under the roosts. You might have to install some kind of poop board under the roosts to keep the boxes from being dumped on. There are plenty of ideas for those, on this forum.
Jack

 

[Chick Norris]

You could install a poop board under the roost and put the nest boxes under that. The nests would not get fouled that way.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Quote:
X2 - great idea!

 

[top of the hill]

Quote:
X2 - great idea!

X3!!

 

[pepperlady]

I might can pull off poop boards.....I'll check that out! Thanks for the idea!