what size should the nesting boxes be?

[mick&cori]

Wow! Is it just me or is getting ready for winter getting harder?

Anyway, we are getting ready to build the guineas and turkeys nesting boxes. I've got the dimensions and how far off the ground for the turkey boxes. How big (height by width by depth) should the boxes be? How far off the ground should they be? The guineas and turkeys are the only ones in the house and run now. We are going to build big boxes right on the floor for the turkeys. Would those be ok for the guineas? Should we build them farther off the ground?

What do yours look like? Please post pics if you got them.

Thanks for all your help. Y'all have been a life saver!

 

[PeepsCA]

Guinea Hens usually do not use nesting boxes as their first choice, unless they chose to share a nest with a chicken or turkey Hen and have learned from watching them that that's where the should lay... they mostly prefer to nest in the bedding on the floor, in a secluded corner, or under the nesting boxes that are mounted to the wall, lol. They prefer private places to lay/nest (which is why if they can, they will lay out in the bushes!).

Leaning 1/2 or 1/3 of a sheet of plywood or OSB against the wall at an angle in a couple places in the coops has worked really well for me, I also made a simple frame out of scrap lumber and then stapled bushy pine branches all over the frame providing a more natural bushy hiding place for my Hens, and leaned that against the back wall of their hoop coop too. They ate most of the pine needles off of it, but still continued to lay their eggs there for me (all of then Hens laid in one spot), lol. Be advised that anything you lean against the walls should be well secured so that it cannot fall on your birds and trap, injure or kill them! Another couple of things that have worked for me are medium and large dog crates with the doors removed, stuffed with straw and I also made an A-frame like structure out of 2 pallets, again the bottom filled with straw. The Hens really liked that as a laying spot and they also roosted on top of it, lol. When kept inside until all of my Hens all laid their eggs for the day, they typically shared the same nesting spot, waiting in line for their turn, lol.

If you are really heartset on building nesting boxes... the bigger the better, I suggest no smaller than 18"x18", with maybe just half of the front open for them to enter so there is more privacy for the Guinea Hens, and the Turkey Hens may appreciate boxes as big as 24"x24". Most likely if the Guineas and Turkeys are housed together they will share nesting spots.