Would TWO nesting boxes be adequate for TEN hens?

[NewOldMotherHen]

I want to cut holes in the side of the chicken house and attach the boxes to the outside. I could do three but it would be more complicated because of stuff outside where the third one would be. From everything I have read, they usually all lay eggs in the same box anyway so would there be any disadvantages to having just two boxes for ten hens?

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have an area that has 10 hens and I only have 2 nesting boxes and it works just fine.

Here is a pic of what they nesting boxes look like. Some days there may be 8 eggs in 1 box and 2 eggs in the other box. Another day there may be 10 eggs in 1 box and ZERO eggs in the other box. Whatever the case, they have no problem with just 2 boxes.

 

[Denninmi]

I have 9 and only have one nest box. They share, its fine. I hear minor squabbles once in a while when there's a lineup.

I only have the one box because it limits the temptation to eat eggs, IMHO -- if the next chicken is pecking at you to move, you don't have time to sit there and think about it.

And, I have it positioned with a "drive up window" so I can just pop it open, reach in, and grab eggs without having to open the door and enter the run.

Never any problems, and I don't see any reason to give them more.

 

[chickensRcute]

The usual is one box per two chickens, I have 18 chickens and eight boxes and they use two of those, and sometimes the floor,

and sometimes the run and then again sometimes its the dusting spot, but there is always the cage in the corner!

Two is probably fine!

 

[Ole rooster]

I made 4 hoping one would be use as a setting palace. I gonna have 8 to 10 hens.

 

[QH Girl]

Sure! I have ten hens and 6 nesting boxes, but my hens have decided that only the outer two boxes are worthy. They sit on top of each other in the boxes waiting turn.

Silly girls.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The biggest potential problem I could see is if one or more go broody, you don't have much flexibility on how you handle it. You pretty much need to do something real quick if one or more go broody.

I've had some that want to lay on the floor instead of in the nest box. I cure them of this bad habit by locking them in a nesting box when I catch them laying in their nest on the floor. Usually I only have to do this once to break them of this habit but I had one hen that took twice.

Will ten hens share two nesting boxes? Yes, under normal conditions. But you lose flexibility in how to manage if you have an abnormal condition. You may be OK with that.

 

[spotstealer]

I have three boxes attached to the outside. You're right though, they all lay in the same box. Sometimes they put me on a egg hunt though.