yet another nest box post...sigh.....

[Jesusis42]

sorry to be such a newbie, but i am building my first coop and i need to know something. I am planning on having 10-12 hens. How many nest boxes do i need to build? Does the size of the box have to correspond to the size of the hen?

I want to build them into the side of the wall so they can be accessed from the outside via a hinged top.

thanks in advance for the wisdom.

 

[can you hear me now?]

First of all

2nd I will say that I try to limit my boxes to 4 hens a box. I have 8 boxes currently. Some people use milk crates as boxes, as a comparison to size. I built mine so that they had enough room to get in and turn around, just barely. This way the roosters will stay out of there. Hope this helps.

 

[Chicken Woman]

I keep one box to every 3 0r 4 hens. Standars need 12 by 14 Banties 12 by 12. At least that's what I built.

 

[chickiebaby]

You can do 3 per box if you ish, but you'll be absolutely fine with six, as well. Many of us do fine that way and our girls still lay beautifully. Often, they hang out in there together and lay together, even, just as if they are playing mah-jonng or kaffee-klatching.

 

[moms_pantry]

I have 12 nest boxes plus a milk crate and some buckets for my hens. They only lay in 2 of the boxes and will wait in line or get in the box together to lay. It's not for a lack of nest boxes. They just all like the same 2.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

As a rule, no mater how many nests you build or how many birds you have they will only find one nest suitable an fight over that one.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

We have 5 nest boxes for 15 girls, they're not laying yet. Mine are storage crates from Zellers, 11.5H/D by 17W, a bit small but they're getting replaced as soon as I can move the roost, and find an appropriate spot for them. Mine can't be very high up, as I have lower windos on all 4 walls.

 

[Sylvie]

I have 4 nests for 16 girls, no rooster. I have some big breeds like BO and Lt Brahmas so they are 14H x 14L x 14W inches. My BA's are very large, too. I think I will just put extra straw in 1 or 2 nests for my smaller girls and see how that works. None are laying yet.

 

[basicliving]

Quote:
I agree. We have five nest boxes and 21 hens. They all fight over any one that another hen gets into - it doesn't matter which one it is. Occassionally I'll find two nest boxes with a hen in each - and a line of hens fussing to get into each of those two.

I'd definitely provide at least a nest box per four or five hens - just to give them the choice of which one they'll fight over each day

Penny

 

[junebug7334]

I too have the same experiences. We used our girls old toy box, with a hinged lid, and they will fight over one side vrs. the other.