How many nesting boxes per hen?

[Rock Home Isle]

The numbers are all over the place on this topic...even the published data has a certain degree of varience in what the right ratio should be...I simply go with what I was taught to go with for the ratio of nest boxes and that is 1 box per every 4 layers....course in my own backyard project I didn't even follow my own advice. I have 5 pullets and there are 3 nest boxes in the coop.

 

[RedStarLady1207]

3 hens - 1 nest box. When one goes up to lay the other 2 will go up to have a look and murmur to each other. It's girl talk. Laying eggs is serious business!

 

[Time-Out]

I currently have 7 layers and 2 boxes, but I'd like more. I've found an egg on the floor a couple of times. I don't think mine like sharing. It's like sitting on the loo; you don't want someone else sitting there with you!

Oh and one of my hens also takes 3-5 hours to lay an egg (they're far too big for her), so that's the nestbox taken for most of the day.

 

[lindsay297]

11 girls and 6 nesting boxes......all use same box. 4 at a time and the others wait in line. Mine all lay within an hour of each other. Quite the production line....
I have seen them tell each other off if they think the other is taking to long!!! I dont think the number matters.....though if you are building 1 it doesnt take much to build a few more!!

 

[CGinJCMO]

I am a newbie to all of this chicken business and have on a coop design. This forum is great. If you do not mind me asking, what are the new demensions of the entries to the nesting boxes? Approximate numbers is good enough.
You mentioned that the new boxes are a little darker, while I notice a lot of people are painting the inside of their coops white. Wonder if a color not as bright might a better choice for color? Please forgive me if this color question is a stupid one.

Thanks, Chopaka

To darken my nest boxes, I stained the wood. One of the scrap boards used was already stained so I just stained the rest of the insides. I figured that would darken the boxes enough. I'm also considering making a "doorway" because I'm concerned that I don't have the front deep enough compared to some of the photos I've seen of other next boxes.

CG

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I painted the inside of my coop white and the inside of the nest boxes Chocolate Brown...

 

[aggiemae]

Our coop has two nest boxes for six hens but one would probably have been enough.

My understanding is that hens like a snug fit so the nest box size depend on the breed.

I am taking a break form building nest boxes right now! We have four medium size and two large (over 8 pounds) chickens so each box is 14x15 The top is slanted and is 20" tall on the high side and 14" tall on the low side. I am trying to make the whole box removable for cleaning.

The inside of our coop is a soft yellow color, It's left over paint that came with the house but I am using low VOC paint for the next box since the hens need to go back into the coop tonight...I have to choose form the colors I have on hand. Probably purple.

 

[lavender pekins]

1 nesting box per 3 hens

 

[thecoopbuilder]

What's funny is that some of my customers tell me that even 5 chickens may fight over one nesting box when there may be 3 or 4 other boxes available, so I would recommend 1 or 2 for every 5 chickens. Here is a photo of my egg boxes to give you some ides.

 

[chickenlickin8]

I have a 11 new girls...not laying age yet. We have 6 boxes and in the past, my girls used most all the boxes. No dog piling here....lol! They each like their own box and if they see one is full, they look for an empty one. Makes good chicken sense...LOL! I guess it just depends on your hens.