nesting boxes.

[Aberdeenplotter]

A veggie man posting a new thread in the Poultry section. A first for me.

I've been converting a shed for one of my customers for her to use as a henhouse. She'll be eighty in March and says she intends to keep chickens until she is ninety. Her Mother lived to be one hundred and two so it's a real possibility. Anyway, small technical query.

Bearing in mind that my customer wants her nest boxes to be inside the henhouse, and that at some point it may become difficult for her to bend down to collect eggs,(she is remarkably spry at the moment) What is the maximum height that the next boxes can be mounted to allow reasonable access for the hens?

[chris]

Well, mine fly/jump up 2-3' easily.. They've flown up a 10' wall too.

If you can provide a ladder for them to access them and they know that the nesting boxes are there, they may use them. My nestbox is on my book which is ~3' off the ground, they always use it unless a broody is blocking the nestbox.

[RichmondHens]

This I guess is a walk in shed and the nestboxes will be mounted on one of the walls?

I would place them on one of the side walls, rather than the back, and also lower than the roosting perch, both of which will discourage them from sleeping in them at night. I would try and make them removable so they can be taken outside and checked for red mite in full daylight. Converted sheds are tricky to check thoroughly for mite so I hope your elderly customer will have help with this. Heightwise, I think 2 - 3 feet high should be accessible by most hens (although larger heavy ones may need a lower nestbox, it will depend on what size hens your customer is planning on getting), you can also fit a bar in front so the hens fly up to perch on the bar before entering the nestbox.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Thank you for that really helpful input. Yes it is a walk in shed and the nest box will be mounted on a sidewall on your advice. I hadn't thought about making it removable but seeing the wisdom of that will use mirror plate fixings or something similar to suspend it so that it can be lifted out when there is a need. Noted re red mites and also height in comparison to roosting perches. I hadn't thought about a bar in front so a small adjustment to my original design will be needed.

[chris]

Do post piccies when it's done AP!