Nest Boxes

[Hinksy]

What is the standard nest box size for a standard sized hen?

Picked up Hens on Sunday 5 of them, at the moment they are still settling in so things are probably still very new for them.

The Coop we have has a 3 Bay nest box which is 4foot+ long, so each compartment is just over 40cm wide.

All the Hens seem to snuggle up in just one compartment and still look lost in it. They are all 16wks and standard sized hens, the question is can I add another compartment or 2 within the large nest box so that they would all have their own room so to speak?


Thanks

[Bramble-Poultry]

i never give it much thought as most of my layers are either ex-batts that lay anywhere they bloody please in the house, or bantams which has a small nest box anyways. i would assume that 18" (45cm) is rather large but would suit orpingtons etc, perhaps a 35cm wide nest box would be about right.

we dont really use nest boxes here, we just provide a secluded area in the house and a 4" thick layer of straw and let them scrape their own nests!

[Suechooks]

Mine are 12" cubes but now using smallish cardboard boxes since the red mite were invading the nest box joints last year)

[Hans Mum]

i use covered cat litter trays - plastic so no red mite, easy to clean & I already had them

[Snadger]

Mine are 14 inches deep and wide!

[frias]

It doesn't matter how big or small you make it, they still squeeze in together.

[Snadger]

It doesn't matter how big or small you make it, they still squeeze in together.

And sometimes not use them at all...............

[di]

Since our mite problem last year we've been using the same method as BrambleP.It's working fine for the most part until one of them decides that right by the door is a good place to lay.There's been several times where one's almost rolled out when we open the door to collect them.

[Hinksy]

So them not using the roosting bars and just using the nest boxes or house floor to sleep on isnt really a problem then?

Think I did too much research before and now I'm expecting the hens to do things all regimental ... haha

I did think about re-fitting the nest boxes with plastic so to make it easier for cleaning out and if this helps the fight against Red Mite then it might be the best thing.

[MrsC]

Hi, when we built our hen house we didn't include nesting boxes, (they make a nice little nest perfectly formed from straw) and lay there, 9 times out of 10 in the hen house, if the weather is nice they gather the straw and lay under the hen house. We have roosting bars but 3 of them refuse to use them. Funny little things chucks are

ps - I did try a nest box inside the hen house at one point but they were having none of it, I just leave them to it now, whatever they feel comfortable with, I get an egg a day more or less from my girls.

[draig]

My chucks sleep in the nest box and lay in the main part of the coop in a nest that they have made. This is the only place they will lay and sometimes there is a very noisy queue waiting for the nest.