Ye old chicken coop

[Nliten2012]

We have 20 baby chicks coming, 10 buff orpingtons and 10 barred rocks. We have cleared out the old chicken coop which is 12x8, and I plan on extending out one wall to accomodate 15 new nesting boxes with oak branches for roosting along the front, and additional roosting branches along a shorter wall. Since we are newbies to this, will this be adequate for them? I want to keep the coop rustic since my grandfather built the farm we are now trying to homestead. They will be free range and only locked away in there at night. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[Katy]

Unless you just really want to build that many, you don't need that many nest boxes.

 

[jab91864]

I agree 5 or 6 nest boxes will be plenty. Most hens seem to like to share boxes. Usually they lay and take off shortly thereafter. Another hen will pop in lay in the same box and take off....

I often go in the coop and will find several of my hens sitting in a box together while all the others are empty.

Julie

 

[patandchickens]

I am not sure what exactly you are meaning by "nesting boxes with oak branches for roosting along the front", but if you mean the roosts will be in front of the entrances to the nest boxes, you might want to rethink that. It would increase the chances of the chickens sleeping in the nestboxes and thus getting them all poopy, leading to dirty eggs. You want the roosts to be *higher than* the nest boxes, to avoid that problem. (The nest boxes might have little 'landing pads' in front of them, but not roosts as such).

What others said about # nest boxes, too.

Good luck and have fun,

Pat