Nesting box opening height

[Richard Pryor]

How does this nesting box look to you guys? I built my nesting box with what I had laying around. I made each floor 12" tall but I didn't account for the 2x4 that would hold the straw in place so now the opening is 9" and I'm afraid it might be too small?

A few of my hens just started laying and today they laid in the same place they had been laying for the past few days before I finished building it: on the coop floor in a corner.

 

[Richard Pryor]

I have 3 golf balls on each floor now. They don't seem too curious about the nesting box.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Should I temporarily close off the area where they are laying? I have a few feet of chicken wire left over.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

As long as overall height is at least 12 inches it should be good. The reason for the height is the hen stands up to push the egg out and they need to be able to stand fully in the nestboxes.

I seldom ever see the young ones looking in the boxes until just before they start to lay. They generally become very loud and vocal a day or two before.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How does this nesting box look to you guys? I built my nesting box with what I had laying around. I made each floor 12" tall but I didn't account for the 2x4 that would hold the straw in place so now the opening is 9" and I'm afraid it might be too small?

A few of my hens just started laying and today they laid in the same place they had been laying for the past few days before I finished building it: on the coop floor in a corner.

I've seen full sized hens use an opening 6" tall. 9" is plenty. If they scratch bedding out of that you can even go higher to keep the bedding in.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Yes they are being very vocal.

Top floor is actually more than 12" because of the sloped roof.

 

[aart]

If they scratch bedding out of that you can even go higher to keep the bedding in.

...and they probably will.....new layers can make a real mess of bedding.
It's kind of funny, and usually stops after they get used to laying which can take up to month or so.

 

[Richard Pryor]

They continue to lay in the back of the coop on the floor. Although I've seen them play around with the hay in the nesting box and there are a couple of nests, they're not laying there.

Should I block the area where they nest with chicken wire?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They continue to lay in the back of the coop on the floor. Although I've seen them play around with the hay in the nesting box and there are a couple of nests, they're not laying there.

Should I block the area where they nest with chicken wire?

That would be a good idea as well as encouragement for them to look elsewhere.