Hen Nesting Boxes
Hen nesting boxes are a way of organizing your hens and their business of egg-laying. If you do not provide nesting boxes, you could find eggs everywhere as if you were at an “Easter Egg Hunt”. You wouldn’t know where they were laid, or how fresh they were.
Organize your chicken coop with nesting boxes on one side, inside the chicken coop. Hens will inately seek a nesting box to be quiet, and finish the process of laying their egg. Nesting boxes afford them a quiet, clean space to relax, and lay their egg undisturbed..
I have six nesting boxes in my chicken coop, in two rows of three. The first row is mounted off of the chicken coop floor at 18″, and the second row begins at 36″ off of the chicken coop floor. My nesting boxes are a little larger than is necessary because I have the room and my chickens are the larger, heavier breeds. In the photos, my nesting boxes are 16″ wide, 14″ deep, and heights at 18″ high and 12″ high, respectively.
Julia In A Nesting Box Laying An Egg
Make sure your nesting boxes are secured to hold the weight of several hens. A minimum size for nesting boxes is 12″w x 12″d x 12″h. If you have the room, make your nesting boxes a little larger for your hens. Nesting boxes can be make out of plywood. I have seen vintage metal hen nesting boxes, that come as one piece or row, at flea markets. The nesting box is open on one side where the hen enters and lays down. Create a little lip on the front of each nesting box so the hen has something to grip on when entering her nesting box, and to prevent eggs from rolling out.
Dry fresh bedding consisting of straw or pine shavings will be comfortable for laying hens, and keep their eggs clean and secure until they are collected. Rotate bedding out on a regular basis to the manure box, for instance, or your compost pile. Hens do not normally dirty their nesting boxes, but clean out any manure droppings, or if an egg has somehow cracked and broken open in the nesting boxes. Broken eggs can attract ants.
Nesting Boxes Positioned Off Of Floor & Along One Side of Coop
Each hen does not lay at the same time, so you do not need to provide a nesting box for every single hen. A rule of thumb I like is to provide at least one nesting box for every 3 hens in your flock. Sometimes you might have a few social hens using one nesting box together. Also, you might find you have a clutch of eggs in one nesting box that several hens have used, one after another.
If you like, you can even track your egg production by writing in a notebook or a journal how many eggs per day you collected, and any other observations. Try and follow a routine for yourself and your hens, by collecting your eggs about the same time each morning or each evening.
Collect your eggs every day from your nesting boxes, either with a nice somewhat insulated basket or even with recycled egg cartons. Be careful not to “clang” your eggs together. Freshly laid eggs are remarkable. They come complete with an invisible protective coating from the hen that keeps them fresh. For that reason, you should not wash or rinse your eggs, unless they have a bit of manure on them. Collected eggs are ready for your refrigerator to keep until you are ready to eat, cook, or bake with them.
{ 137 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello how are you doing my name is larrt mike pls i will like to know of you have hen coops for sell i will like to know the cost of it plux the tax and get back to me i will be waiting to hear from you very soon
Hello,
I don’t have chicken coops for sale or plans, but there are “google” ads at the end of every one of my “chicken posts” with information for what you are looking for.
Thanks for asking.
VintageGardenGal
You have some beautiful chickens!
Thank you for your kind words….VintageGardenGal
Your information and pictures of your chickens are wonderful and very helpful. Thank you. I am a beginner in raising my chickens and looking for all the help i can get.
Thanks for your great comment! VintageGardenGal
Wow! Julia is beautiful, we are just finishing building my chicken coop, will get my girls next week, i am very excited.your site has been very helpful thank you.
Welcome to the world of chickens! It is so much fun. Thanks for your wonderful comment…VintageGardenGal.
hi again bonnie, i’am getting 6 hens, i also wanted to get a rooster.if i want eggs no chicks can i house them together? thank you for all your wonderful help.
Hilda, If you house a rooster with your hens, you are going to get fertile eggs, and your hens will want to sit on their eggs to brood, and hatch their eggs.
There is no getting around that. If you don’t want chicks, I suggest no rooster. Sorry….Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal.
thank you bonnie,at least i know now. i just though it would be nice to hear someone else crow other than the hubby, lol.
Loved your comment…go girl! VintageGardenGal
I enjoyed your site very much…My wife and I farm and she keeps a dozen hens. We’d like to know what breed your Julia hen pictured above is.?.? She reminds her of a pet hen she had as child. Thanks!
Todd,
Julia is an Ameraucana hen. She is a very sweet hen, and lays gray/blue eggs. I highly recommend this breed. She was still laying a few eggs this spring at seven years old. Thank you for your kind comment…VintageGardenGal.
Dear Vintage Garden Gal,
I want to thank you for your tips I am trying desperately to take care of chickens which I have never done before. thay are great fun but mean while I’m trying to figure out a way to build a cheap hen house for them. We really don’t have the money but a neighbor has given us some wood. Oh your probably wondering, if you can’t afford to build a house for them why have them? They were given to us by a neighbor who bought them and her spouse said she could not have them. But we have fallen in love with them watching them grow. we have been using a rabbit house that we fenced in. so thank you. everything weve tried on the internet for info wants money. so thanks.
Kelli, I always say there are two kinds of people in this world, chicken people and non-chicken people. You are a chicken person! Welcome to the world of chickens. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal.
Thank you for all the information on here! You’ve just inspired me to make my nesting boxes out of a redundant shelving unit. I can’t wait to get my girls next week. Chickens are the way forward!
Go girl….thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal.
where could I purchase these nesting boxes??? thanks
Sherry, nesting boxes are something that can easily be made by handyman or a carpenter. Do you know someone who might be able to make them, maybe in exchange for fresh eggs, etc. Two other options are to look for nesting boxes at your local feed store for sale, and possibly flea markets. Sometimes you can actually find vintage nesting boxes which are terrific at flea markets. Things to consider if you are not making custom nesting boxes, will your nesting boxes fit in your chicken coop properly for your hens, and is your door or opening to your chicken coop big enough to get them into your chicken coop. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
my husband built a new coop for our 3 chickens, but they are not going into it at dusk. They have needed our help to find it and then they go in. Do you have a tip or suggestion in this situation? Thanks!
Paula, are your chickens young? Sometimes if they are young, and have not had an “older hen” show them the ropes, they might be a little confused. Also, because it is a new chicken coop, they might be a little confused about their new environment. Try keeping them in their coop, and outside protected pen if you have one for about a week, and then start letting them out first in late afternoon, and then gradually whatever time you want to let them out. They should then try and return to their chicken coop at dusk.
Another suggestion, is give them a treat of lettuce or something they like around the same time of day or early evening. They will become trained to come close to their coop each day for their treat. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
please send me anything now for I m diving into my first coop this spring thanks steve
Steve, I suggest that you read my entire “chicken category” for starts, and follow this blog regularly. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Your nesting boxes look a bit like ours, only ours is eight .ft long w/ six nesting cubbies. Any tips on easy cleaning with the lip in the front?
Rebecca, if my nesting boxes get dirty or the bedding needs to be changed, I just use a garden trowel and an empty bucket to clean out, and put on my coop floor, or the compost pile. Remember I use fresh bedding in the nesting boxes first, then rotate to the chicken coop floor, and then transfer to my manure box.
Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie,
I’m new to the wonderful life of rasing chickens. I have reciently purchased a used coop and am reworking it to inclued an exterier nesting box unit.
My question is…above you wrote> I use fresh bedding in the nesting boxes first, then rotate to the chicken coop floor, and then transfer to my manure box.
Is “the manure box” your compost heap? It sounds like it is inside your coop. Would it be possible for you send me a link to interior pictures of your coop??
Love your site ~Anne
Hi Anne,
No, my manure box is under my roosting bar inside my chicken coop. That is where I collect most of my manure from my hens. I then take it outside to my composting area. I do not compost inside my chicken coop. If you go to my homepage, http://www.vintagegardengal.com, on the left side bar, under categories–look for chickens. I have many, many posts there on chickens, along with many photos.
I like to give my hens the freshest bedding first in their nesting boxes, then I transfer it to the coop floor, and then rotate it last to the manure box. Then I take it out, and compost with it. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
You coop looks so clean and the nests are nice too. I only have 4 chickens and don’t use shavings like that. I use straw or shredded paper sometimes.
My chickens make such a mess and toss all the bedding material all over the place. How do you keep them from doing this?
Doug, I found straw was messy for me, and harder for my composting purposes. Just experiment on what works best for you. I use the pine shavings that I get from my local feed store in a big compressed bale bagged. I clean my chicken coop every morning, at least the manure box. Also, I have two hens that are now 7 years old, and then recently two hens that are one year old. The younger hens are more active in the coop and outside pen, so now things are a bit more messy. Age of your hens, if younger will be flapping, jumping around, and more active making things messy. I suggest you follow a cleaning routine in your coop, and it makes it a little easier to keep clean. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal.
Thank you Bonnie.
Yes, my 4 girls are just babies, less than a year and they just started laying. So yes, they are as you say. very active and mess things up.
so yes, need to keep it clean.
I will also look into shavings.
Thanks
Hi Bonnie me agin where is the best place to keep there feed and water inside or outside?
Steve, I have a water source hanging outside at all times, and one inside my coop set on one level of bricks. It is out of the way of the nesting boxes and roost, but accessible for my hens. At night, when I close up my hens at night, I bring their chicken feed bucket inside, out of the night moisture and away from the lure of rodents. The chicken feed bucket goes on another set of bricks on the chicken coop floor for the night.
I have two sources of water at all times, in case one would run dry or become defective. I use one feed bucket, and bring it out and hang it in the outside pen in the morning, weather permitting, and then bring it in at night, and place on its bricks.
The key points with feed and water buckets for chickens, is that they are clean and available to them. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
thank u so much for the info hope to talk agin steve
Hi Bonnie,
Should a broody hen be separated from the other hens while she is sitting on eggs … and will she leave her nest to feed, or do I have to feed her separately. Macy
Macy, no you don’t normally need to separate a broody hen. In my experience, broody hens don’t eat much, and actually can get thin. They almost go into a trance or a state. They are fine staying with their flock. I would actually pick my hen up and carry her over to her feed bucket, so she could eat a bit. Make her walk around a little. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I have been searching for a long time and this is the first (and only so far) site I’ve found that properly explains how many nesting boxes I’m going to need per hen and why. I’m about to start collecting materials to build my hen house, I currently have two little Pekin bantams that were given to me, (hen and rooster) and their two baby chics that are being raised by an on-loan broody surrogate mother. They currently live happily roaming my yard and sleep in an old drum with straw base, with surrogate mother and chics in a former rabbit hutch, and I need to quickly build them something more suitable. I was stressing about how many nesting boxes I would need in my design for egg laying once I’m no longer trying to raise babies – your site has answered my question. Thank you for having such good information available here.
Lili, have fun with your chickens and new chicken coop. Thanks for your kind words….VintageGardenGal
Thank you so very much Bonnie,for the advise about feeding my broody hen, she had a quick feed and walk around yesterday evening. How often should I disturb her to feed?…. Macy
Macy, just when you are down to check on your hens, once or twice a day, nothing like a routine. She’ll be fine. Glad to help…VintageGardenGal
Hi – this is a wonderful website and a very informative blog. I am planning on turning an old shed on our property into a henhouse. This shed has insulation and exposed tar-paper on the inside. I think this would certainly help the hens in the winter, but I am concerned that they might get into the insulation or peck at the tar paper….should this be a concern? Is it worth it to leave the insulation and add a layer of wood along the entire interior?….thanks so much! Aurora
Aurora, not sure where you are located but it sounds like it is cold in the winter. Chickens would need insulation in their chicken coop, and maybe a heat source. Yes, I would add a layer of non-treated plywood to your interior to further protect your chickens. Yes, you would want to protect them from nails jutting out, tar paper, and unknowns. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal.
Hello, I am wondering how high is to high for my nesting boxes, I have the bottom row of three at about 36″ and the second row of three at 48″, do you feel this is too high?
Also, I have 3 brown hens, 3 black and 6 leghorns, 1 Plymouth Rock rooster and a brown rooster, will any of them eat the others eggs? Or will the roosters eat them? That is why I put the nesting boxes at the height I did. They are 16 weeks old and have not started laying just yet, I assume at about 20 weeks they will start.
One more question, is it a good idea to have two roosters? I was told they will fight.
Thank You so much, Deats
David, I have 2 rows of nesting boxes, one at 18″ and the second at 36″ from the coop floor. I feel your nesting boxes at 48″ are getting too high. The older your hens get, the less they will want to go for high nesting boxes. Normally, you shouldn’t have a problem with any of them eating eggs. Sometimes hens, lower in the pecking order will have their eggs pecked or cracked. It is something you shouldn’t worry about. Young hens start laying at about 6 months old. Two roosters might fight, if they have been raised together there might be less of a chance of them fighting. It really depends on your roosters. Your hens might suffer a bit with 2 roosters, the roosters might be rough on them to the point where they don’t have feathers on their back, if you know what I mean….Thanks for your great questions…VintageGardenGal
hello Bonnie I built my coo0p 5 ft by 8 feet and followed your advice on the hight of the nest 18 in and 36 ins do I sill need ramps for them to geet up or can thay hop up. thank u
Steve, your hens will be able to hop into their nesting boxes without a ramp. They do a quick hop and/or sometimes a flutter with their wings. It helps to have that little ledge or lip in the front of their nesting boxes for them to grab on, just like I described in my “nesting box” post. Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie, My husband and I jusy moved to our second home in the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. We have 4 hens 2 Jersey Giants and 2 Golden Lace Wyandottes about 16 weeks old. The girls are all doing just fine since my husband and I finished a chicken coop. We built it on our front porch and it is 10′ x 8′ wide x 6′ high. It has chucken wire for a roof but our porch is roofed. Our front porch is 50 feet long and we wanted to have their coop close to us so we and our two mini longhaired daschunds could interact with them all of the time. We have placed three small bales of hay at different heights, in there so they can have places to scratch and play hide and seek, we just finished today a roost and it is hanging above one of the bales of hay. We have made a nesting box and placed a large plastic flower pot saucer in it filled with hay. I like your use of shavings. Are these like the type you use for other small animals? Like rabbits or hamsters? Do the shavings need to be plain pine or can they be cedar or something like that?
My most important question is when should we place the nesting box inside the coop? I have heard that too early and they will take up sleeping in there. So far they like hiding in their hay to sleep and haven’t started using their roost. Is this OK?
Here in the mountains we have many predators. We have only let the girls run around on the porch and under the porch, as we saw a 400-500 pound bear in our back woods behind the house a week ago. We live on the top of the downside of the mountain and have 3 additional acres behind the house. We are a little concerned as to how we can keep the girls really close to the house. Any ideas?
Also it does get cold up here low 30′s, but it does not snow. We have placed a heater outside the coop facing into the coop but aren;t sure if this is really needed. Again we have been told that these are hardy birds, and perhaps that is why they like the hay we have in there for them. Any suggestions about this situation.
I could probably go on and on. We have just fallen in love with them and they are called the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Chicks” and they are each named after my Mother-in Law and her three sisters!
PS our pups love rounding the girls up and trying to keep them together.
We never dreamed that moving from a 3 million person city to such a pristine wilderness would hold all these magnificent times for us and I Never would have deamed I would ever own chickens that actuall come running to us and sit on our shoulders!
I now this is long but I hope you enjoy reading it and have some answers for us we really want to do what is best for the “sisters”
Susan, wow, sounds like you have a new adventure with your chickens and all. I use pine shavings for my chickens, the same type you use for hamsters and guinea pigs. I have not seen cedar shavings, but I’m thinking they would be more expensive in a bale size. Also, I would have to research how welll cedar shavings works for composting. Young hens start laying around six months old, so you can wait and put in your nesting boxes later. Personally, I like to let my hens get acquainted with their nesting boxes as part of their chicken coop from the get-go.
Chickens can tolerate cold much better than heat, but it has to be a dry cold. They do not do well with cold and dampness at all. I have never had hens in cold weather, so best to check with your local feed store or other poultry enthusiasts in your area, about keeping your hens safe and warm.
You know that no amount of chicken wire is going to keep out a bear. My you are brave. Try your coop on your porch. If you have predators continuously, you might have to build a more contained reinforced building with an optional outside pen.
Welcome to the “joy of chickens”. I loved hearing about your girls. Thanks for your lovely comment…VintageGardenGal
Coming from someone who managed a pet store and raised mice, rats, guinea pigs, a rabbits and hamsters, cedar shavings are not good for any of those small rodents and can be lethal to rabbits especially. Im not sure how it differs with chickens but as i get ready to start my adventure with chickens i know that Im not going to take the chance with cedar for any of them. There is an oil that occurs natually in cedar that is harmful to the respiratory system for those small rodents. Pine is sensational and generally a little less expensive than cedar anyways. (And lovely website and blog regarding the chickens, it has been extrememly helpful for me)
Witch, I use pine shavings with my hens, and also compost with it. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
Nice nest box. thanks.
Your information is very interesting. I, too, am recently struggling with hens that are roosting in the nesting boxes and pulling everything out of them…I’m constantly refreshing the straw and even tried pine shavings but they keep pulling them out.
We also built our coop first and then then chicken run. We have 29 hens but only 9-11 go out into the run, the rest won’t even attempt it. Any suggestions? Thanks, Cindy
Cindy, chickens are creatures of habit. You can try and feed them treats daily such as lettuce, apples, chard, in their outside pen to coax them out. Do you have a feed bucket you put in the outside pen now? If they have a feed source, they will usually gravitate to the feed bucket. Do you have a door from the chicken coop to the outside pen? You can try and herd them all out to the outside pen, close the door, and keep them all outside for a few hours together daily, too. Although, if your hens are laying, they will want to go to their nesting box. Thanks for your comment….VintageGardenGal
I inherited 3 hens last week and built a tractor coop for them with an 8 foot run. The lady I picked them up from said they had just started laying. It’s been 6 days without a single egg. Is this normal & when can I expect them to begin laying again?
Chris, yes, sometimes it takes a little time for hens to settle in to a new environment. Also, they may have stopped laying this time of year with the short day lengths. Starting December 21, the day lengths will start getting longer, and will stimulate them to start laying once again. How old are your hens, are they still able to lay eggs. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Hi Chris. My wife and I are new to chickens. We’ve got a decent sized backyard (1 -1/4 acres) with a large field to one side. I’ve got a used 8×14 shed that I’m converting to a coop. Anyway, I have two primary questions:
1) Are you using the deep litter method? If so, do you have a wood floor to your shed? I’ve heard that the litter won’t compost well if you don’t have an earthen floor. I’ve also heard that you can add a bit of fresh earth or yeast to help the process.
2) Do I need to have ladders or some means for the hens to get up to the egg boxes and/or roosting area?
Like I said, we’re completely new to this, so we’re learning during the cold months with hopes of doing free-range birds in the spring.
Thanks,
Kevin
Kevin, welcome to the wonderful world of chickens. I have a wood floor in my chicken coop, and I use pine shavings as bedding. I compost my chicken manure, pine shavings, and scraps from my kitchen every day. I clean and take out my chicken manure, and put it all in a compost bin. It sounds like you are trying to compost your manure and bedding in the chicken coop. If that is the case, I do not recommend it. It is best to compost in a separate spot.
If you follow the measurements that I wrote about in my “nesting box” post, your hens should be able to get in and out of their nesting boxes without help. If you go higher, which I don’t recommend, you might need a bar or something. Generally, hens can jump/fly on to a roosting bar or into nesting boxes without aid. I do have a little plank for my hens from their coop to adjoining outside pen which is about a foot difference. They use that all day getting in and out of their coop.
I suggest you read through my “chicken” category, because I really go into detail about various aspects of caring for chickens, and what is optimum for their coop. Thanks for your comment….VintageGardenGal
Have you had any problem with snakes getting to your nesting boxes and if so, what have you done to prevent and deter this slithery pest?
JC, I have not had problems with snakes getting into my coop and pen. I make sure my coop is as buttoned-up as possible, and I have quarter inch wiring buried a foot below my soil level around my outside pen, to ward off any type of critters, including snakes. Seal or block any holes in your chicken coop floor, and if you have an outside pen, make sure it is entirely protected on sides, below ground, and top. Thanks for your question…VintageGardenGal.
Hi Bonnie,
We are so happy. Six of our seven girls are laying. It is so much fun to go to the coop and see if we have any “jewels” to collect. We are getting from 3 to 6 eggs a day. The girls do not like one of the laying boxes but they love a bushell basket we placed in the coop and three of them are laying in there. One lays under the 2nd laying box and Della our Alpha hen allows one other girl to use her box. One day we came home and found an egg at the door to the coop! It looked like one hen layed it somewhere else and they rolled it to the door so we could find it. Chickens are so wonderful and entertaining.
My question is this Bonnie, one of our Orpngtons has been pulling out her feathers on her back at the base of where her tail starts. She is not being picked on as we thought but she has done this hrself. We do not see any mites nor fleas she just seems to be itchinng herself. We put some over the counter ointment on her skin and it appears her feathers are growing back. Now Della, a Deleware, our Alpha hen is starting with the same condition. Do you have any idea what could cause this. Everyone else is OK.
Thank you for all of your advice. If it hasn’t been for you and your blog and wealth of knowledge we would not be doing as well with our girls. Thank you, thank you…..
Susan, I’m glad you are enjoying your flock! My friend had a hen that was self-pecking. I don’t know what causes that. What kind of bedding are you using? Are your hens stressed in any way? Is there a rooster in your mix by chance? Maybe call a vet that specializes in chickens. Also, research the internet. There are quite a few poultry health websites. Try Velvet Sparrow’s poultry website, http://jackshenhouse.com/ and ask. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
Bonnie, so glad I found your website!
Hope you can share your experiences and advice with me.
My plan is to dedicate an area of my shed, I am thinking, 4 x 10 for the coop area. I plan to have two entrance/exits for the chickens, one for each of the two runs that will allow me to have an alternative areas for them to range. Does that make sense or is it overkill?
-The shed does not currently have windows, should I add a window or two in the coop area for ventilation and lighting? If so, where in relationship should it be to the roost?
-I was also thinking I would frame the 4 x 10 area and use chicken wire to enclose it with an entrance for me to get inside the area for collecting the eggs and cleaning it. I thought that would allow me to check on the birds without entering the coop. Does that make sense or should I enclose it with plywood versus chicken wire?
-We live in WI. Should we do anything special during the winter months to insulate the coop?
-Do you combine all the wood shavings and manure into your normal compost pile or do you have a separate one for the chicken manure?
-I have read that the nesting boxes should be as dark as possible. I have also read some people use burlap sacks to put over the entrances. Is that necessary?
Any advice you can provide is very much appreciated!
Thank you!
Bob, your shed sounds good. Yes, chickens like windows and sunlight. I suppose it is best to place windows where they won’t be drafty on your hens. Since you are in Wisconsin, you will probably have to insulate,etc, against your winters. Check with your local feed stores on what they recommend, and what materials. I mix my pine shavings together with my chicken manure in with my compost. Nesting boxes do not necessarily have to be dark. They are more of a place for your hens to have a quiet place to be undisturbed while laying their eggs. Best of luck to you….VintageGardenGal
hiiii…i have 2 silkie females and one black bantam female and a silkie male …all are almost 10 months old …only black bantam is laying egg that shows male is fertile and mating.silkie females are not laying eggs.
what could be the reason for this.please guide me as i am keeping the hens first time….
Ahsan, hens do not need a rooster or a male to lay an egg. Hens need a rooster to created fertile eggs, and eventually chicks, if they sit on their eggs for 21 days. I’m not sure why your hens are not laying. Are you sure they are 10 months old. Are they stressed in any way? Small spacing? Too high temperature? Adequate feed and water? Most hens begin to lay at about 6 months old. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal.
no they are not stressed ..they have enough space …is it important to build a proper coop???
Ahsan, if your chickens don’t have a proper chicken coop, they are probably laying their eggs where you are not seeing them. Yes, although chickens love to free range, I think it is a good idea to have a coop for their protection, and many other reasons. It is great to let them out, but I think a coop is important in having chickens. Good luck to you…VintagegeGardenGal
What is the best nesting material to use for laying hens?
Lenora, I personally use clean pine shavings available from feed stores in a compressed bale. Straw is good, too. I compost my pine shavings everyday with my chicken manure, kitchen scraps, etc. Here is a post I wrote about “nesting boxes” from my “Chickens” category:
http://www.vintagegardengal.com/2009/03/30/backyard-chicken-coop-nesting-boxes/
Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
hey Bonnie
i asked you about my hens before too……my silkies are still not breeding …is there any problem with hen ????
can you please tell me about vitamins for hens …..??
one of my friend`s rooster is infertile,i mean he gives infertile eggs ,can you tell me how to make that rooster fertile
regards…
Ahsan, sometimes hens and roosters are not perfect themselves, sometimes it is their environment. If you are providing a general balanced laying mash to your hens, they are getting all of their nutrients and essentials to lay eggs. Sometimes a rooster is not fertile. I know of no way to make a rooster fertile. A hen does not need a rooster to lay an egg, but she needs a rooster to fertilize her egg. After that, she still has to sit on her fertile egg(s) almost non-stop for 21 days to hatch a chick. Do you have a safe quiet nesting area for your hens? Thanks for your great questions…VintageGardenGal
they have a proper nesting area with a balanced diet …..
Ahsan, it could by your rooster is infertile. Have you seen your hen brood? A hen will sit on a clutch of eggs for days keeping them warm with her body temperature. If she does this successfully for 21 days, and the eggs have been fertilized by a rooster, she will hatch chicks. If you don’t see your hen sitting on a clutch of fertilized eggs brooding, you will not have chicks either. You could try incubating your fertile eggs yourself. There are small ones you can buy. Don’t really know what the missing link is for you. How are your silkies? Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Will my chickens still lay eggs in their nesting boxes if they sleep there. I was told to block them off from the nesting boxes because they are using them to sleep in. They are not ready to lay eggs yet, still too young. Thanks for any advice you can give.
Laura, I don’t think you are going to have a problem with your hens and their nesting boxes. Let them be, and they will figure it out. Do you provide a roost for them to sleep on at night by chance? Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
hii bonnie
actually what i am trying to ask is …my female is silkie is almost 10 years old ..she is still not laying eggs as you said before a hen does not need a rooster to lay eggs ……..my hen should atleast lay eggs ………
I am wondering at what age I should open the nesting boxes up for the pullets. They are 12 weeks old and I just don’t want to make a mistake and open them to early and they sleep in them and don’t lay eggs in there when the time comes. At what age do I put the fake egg in the nesting boxes also? They are used to roosting at night on the roost that we have for them.
Tonya, most hens start laying at about 6 months or 24 weeks. I don’t think you need to put a fake egg in their nesting boxes either. Hens will figure out the nesting boxes. I had my nesting boxes open and available for my hens when they were 3 months old. When the time was right they started using them. Most likely they will keep on using their roosting bar at night. Mine did. Thanks for your great questions….VintageGardenGal
I’ve had chickens for years. They would use about four nesting boxes. This new flock of mine is about three years old. This is the first time I’ve had all 13 chickens use one nest box. I just took the other boxes out of the hen house.
Brie, I think half of the fun of having chickens is their colorful personalities and behavior. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
hello bonnie I am also new at this and i had a couple of questions if you don’t mind answering…..
1.I don’t give my hens any type of food they are field hens and i was wondering if i needed to give them some type of special food or maybe put a male with them.
2. also my hens do not lay on their eggs they put them and get it up, they do no incubate them. i was wondering why?
4.Some of my hens also eat their own eggs, i was told that if was because they lack calcium i am not sure and i this is true what should i feed them in order for this not to happen. or should i separated this hens from the other ones
Trent, it is best to feed your hens a general laying mash which you can buy from feed stores. If they are eating their eggs, chances are they are lacking calcium in their diet for egg-laying. Also feed them different types of greens for calcium, and as a treat. You do not need a rooster for your flock unless you want to have fertile eggs, and raise chicks. Hens do not always sit on their eggs. Some hens will brood, their maternal instinct coming out, and others never do. Thanks for your great questions…VintageGardenGal
I have an enclosed coop that houses 12 hens and 3 roosters. I do let them free range during the day, but close them up at night. The coop is off limits to the chickens during the day due to other farm animals that I don’t want in the coop. Will this system mess up their egg laying (they have not started laying yet)? Should I make the coop (and thereby the laying boxes) available to them all day? I hate to cut a hole in the barn.
Karin, you should have nesting boxes available to your hens during the day. Otherwise they will start laying everywhere in your outside area. Can you make a flexible little door which you can open and close, when needed? Otherwise, you should probably put nesting boxes in a quiet corner in their outside area. The best solution is to have a seemless situation where your chickens can go in and out of their outside pen and chicken coop throughout their day. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
I have six laying hens and need two outside mount nest to add to their coop.I have but a cardboard box in their coop and they seem to share this or lay outside of it. but the coop is actually a dog house on a platform and this takes up a lot of space. I can find coops with the nests but none that can be purchased seperately do you know of any sources. not much of a builder or I would try that. thanks for any help Virginia
Virginia, you can use things like a milk box or small basket, wood box secured on their side. Line these with nice clean bedding. Your hens will not be picky. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
I have just 3 hens in a small triangle shaped tractor type of coop. I have 2 nesting boxes on one end.
2 questions:
1. they have not been laying for almost a month. not sure why they just stopped? Would be be diet? or weather? They are just 16 months old.
2. I had cardboard boxes at first as their nesting boxes but they are all torn up now as they seem to scratch in there. I have now built nice strong boxes with pallets and plywood bottom. But I fill it with nice straw and they just make a mess and scratch is all out which makes a mess all over the rest of the coop. And then no nice soft nesting area is left for them to lay in.
Any ideas of how to get them to lay again?
Doug, they might be starting to go through a “molt” which they take their cue from the decreasing daylight, and take a natural break from laying. This is what is happening, if they start to drop their feathers, too. Your hens are young, I’m sure they will start laying again. Give them some time. Also, are you feeding them a laying mash? Treats of greens and vegetables? Hens like to scratch, and make an indention in their nesting box to lay. You could try another type of bedding like clean pine shavings from a feed store. VintageGardenGal
I have a hen that looks like someone is pecking at her back. I know that there is enough room for roosting, what could be the problem? I was told to put some kind of grease on that spot and they will leave her alone. I don’t have a rooster either. What can I do?
Tonya, there is always a pecking order in your chicken flock. It sounds like this hen is at the bottom of the pecking order and another hen or hens is jumping on her back. I have this happen in my flock, too. You can put oil on their back. If it continues to get worse, separate your little hen and bring a companion hen that she gets along with.
Re-introduce them into the flock after several weeks. VintageGardenGal
Our pullets are about three months old. We have a nice coop with nest. No eggs yet. Our birds wander the yard during the day and sleep in the coop at night. Problem is it seems they sleep in the nest and leave it full of poop each morning. The coop does not have a sloped roof.
Should I fence them out of the nest? Rebuild the coop with a sloped roof? After they begin laying will they try to keep the nest clean?
Dave, do you have a roosting bar for them? A pole that is 2′ above the ground, which assimilates a tree limb? You can put a manure box under the roost, and 80% of your manure will be there in the morning, and easy to clean up. Sometimes my older hens sleep in a nesting box because they can’t reach the roosting bar anymore, and I just clean it out. Check out my post, http://www.vintagegardengal.com/2009/03/31/backyard-chicken-coop-roosting-bar-manure-box/. Right now, your pullets are young, and are wanting to feel protected and secure in their nesting box. Try making a roost for them, and most likely they will get the hang of it, and use it instead. Thanks for your great questions…VintageGardenGal
I think a snake is getting my eggs. I had 13 in the nest yesterday, this morning there were only three! What can I do to stop this ???
Anna, that might be possible. It could be other critters too. Try and button up your chicken coop from potential predators. Seal off large cracks, holes, spaces where your chicken coop is vulnerable. Your hens could be next. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
Thanks Bonnie for all your help so far.
Yes, my chickens must have been molting. They seem to be laying again (slowly) but now they after laying either 1 or more will peck at the eggs and break it then eat up the liquid.
Any way of stopping this?
Doug, try and collect your eggs quicker after they are laid, and make sure your hens have a balanced laying mash with calcium and oyster shell. Are they bored? Can you break up their daily routine any? Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
can you please teach me the steps in constructing a coop
Andy, there are lots of chicken coop plans available on the internet. If you go to my home page, http://www.VintageGardenGal.com, and click under “Chicken” category (left side bar), I have written extensively many posts on the elements of a chicken coop and an outside pen. You want to give your chickens ample room, there is a square footage/bird to follow, protection from weather and predators, free from draft, plenty of ventilation, and more. Take some time and read through my “Chicken” category. Thanks for your interest….VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie,
Great advice, I am new at raising chickens too and in the process of building a new coop. Do the nesting boxes need to be off the floor? My plans call for them to be on the floor, but the whole coop is 12 inches off the ground.
Also, I have one Leghorn rooster and 7 different breeds of hens…leghorn, welsummer, sussex, dominque, orpington, easter egger and andalusian. Will the rooster try to mate with all the different breeds? If so, will the hens have mixed breed chicks? Will the mixed breed chicks lay eggs?
Thanks!
Renee
Renee,
It helps if your nesting boxes are elevated off of the floor, but not necessary. Your intention with nesting boxes is to provide a quiet, low lit, clean place for your hens to lay their eggs undisturbed. It is important that your coop be off of the ground. Your rooster must be very happy. Yes, he will try to mate with all of the different breeds. Yes, you will get mixed breed chicks. Your chicks from these eggs, when mature should lay fine. Thanks for your questions…VintageGardenGal
hii bonnie
i have a cage of 9ft x 11ft…how many hens can i keep in there …
i need to get maximum eggs :p
Ahsan, it depends on your breed birds and size. Smaller bantam breeds should have 1sq foot/bird for inside coop, and 4 sq feet/bird for outside pen. Larger heavy breeds should by 1.5 sq foot/bird inside coop, and 8-10 sq feet/bird for outside pen…..VintageGardenGal
Ahsan, I wasn’t able to see your photo, nor do I know the details of your cage. I’m assuming you have heavy breed hens like I do. Your cage of 9ft x 11ft, would large enough for 5-6 hens. I’m guessing. I always try and provide as much room as I can for my hens. They will be healthier and happier…..VintageGardenGal
in the pictures above on this page …what is on the ground ..i mean what material is it ???
regards
Ahsan, it is pine shavings from pine trees. It comes in a compressed bale, available at feed stores. It is clean, absorbent, and easy to use. You can also use hay, etc….VintageGardenGal
hey bonie i have the one same like the one in the above pic
how many should i keep ?
hey bonnie
i have hens like the one in the pictures above ..how much should i keep ???
my father and i are going to buy wood for the construction of my own chicken coop i have all the tool but the pillar that i am going to use is finished i do not no what i should do.
Andy, I’m not sure what you mean by finished? Treated with something? If it is an older piece of wood, I wouldn’t worry. In general stay away from chemically treated wood and materials for your chickens….VintageGardenGal
I have 6 pullet chicks and was looking into getting a coop with two nesting boxes. I don’t know the sizes of the nesting boxes but do you think they will be suitable for the chicks when they get older and begin to lay?
Baby chicks need to be kept in a box or bathtub with supplemental heat. Once your chicks feather out, no need for supplemental heat. Six chickens should be fine with two nesting boxes. Usually a nesting box is 12″ x 12″ or something around there. Yes, chickens will get use to their nesting boxes, and begin to lay in them. Good luck…VintageGardenGal
Hi VintageGardenGal, I just tried to join but never recieved the email to confirm. However, I have a question why do the chickens (both a year old and a couple of months old) peck at each other? Are they lacking something? I have two Rhode Island Reds 1 year old, and 3 baby Cochins. My other older chickens have started pecking at the Reds and two of the baby Cochins were pecked at by the baby Americaunas and the third Cochin to the point of bleeding. I seperated them but the minute I try to put the babies together they start again. I’m afraid the will kill them so I’m keeping them apart. The Reds have been together for a year now with no problem until recently. HELP !!! I’ve read some vinegar in the water but are the babies too small? they were hatched Feb 25 ???
Rosemary, it is called pecking order. There is a pecking order in every chicken flock. It is very common to get pecking when you have different ages of hens together. Eventually they might get along, sometimes they are very cruel and peck to death. I would raise your cochins separately until they are a little older, a little more mature, and try and re-introduce them. I have had it with my flocks from time to time. Please try and sign up again for my newsletter, I know it works, people have been signing up, or use the orange RSS feed button (above newsletter info) to get each post when I write. Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
I left a message yesterday wonder if it was received? About chicks pecking each other and grown chickens pecking each other? Please let me know. Rosemary
hey Bonnie
hope u r great …
do you know about the breed ASEEL ? have you ever breed them ?
Ahsa, no I’m not familiar with Asel, and haven’t breed them. I’ll have to look them up.
Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
Do I have to worry about an egg not being good if it’s been laid several hours ago?
Monique, not to worry. A fresh laid egg has a natural protective coating from the hen that locks in freshness. That is why you shouldn’t wash your eggs after collecting them, unless they are really dirty from manure. If your eggs are in the hot sun, in the car, or left for unknown days in your chicken coop then I would not eat them….VintageGardenGal
This is a great website! Thanks for all th einformation. What do I do with a hen that does not like to lay in the nesting boxes. I have 4 nice boxes for 9 hens. It should be enough. I kknow they all tend to go for one that they like better than the others!
Any suggestions.
Thanks
Thea, I’ve never had that problem. Perhaps you could sway here with a treat like some lettuce in the nesting box. Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
Hello, Ive read that hens need 10sq feet of space each for the enclosed outdoor area and 3-4 for their indoor area. Is this about right? I ahve a 70 sq foot area which will have the hen house and outdoor pen and was panning on around 12 hens. Is that space sufficient for happy healthy hens?
Thanks
Jack
Jack, it depends on the type of chickens you are planning on getting. Bantam, small, or Heavy breed, large?
Small breed chickens need 1 square foot/bird for coop, and 4 square foot/bird for outside pen.
Larger breed chickens need 1.5-2 square foot/bird for coop, and 8-10 square feet/bird for outside pen.
It sounds like you might be better off with a flock of 7-8 chickens with your space. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
hi just wondered how to chicken get on get in to the second row of nesting boxs thanks Hannah
Hannah, hens will always have their favorite boxes. They might be too high for them, if they prefer a lower first row. As they age, too, it will be harder for them to get to higher nesting boxes. I let my hens lay where they like. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
Hi
I got 20 egg but my hen is not ready yet.how long can keep the egg ?should I keep them in dark room ? I need help .Thanks
Tom, your comment is not clear. What are you trying to do? You can always google with specific search terms to get help. Thanks…VintageGardenGal
My rooster doesn’t mount all the hens in the flock.He is 1 yr old but only go with leading girls of the coop.Younger only see the face
they are still unable to lay an egg.Suggestions are required.
Abid, I have not had a rooster, so don’t have experience to share with you. A hen should start laying eggs at about 6 months old. She does not need a rooster to lay an egg. She needs a rooster to fertilize the egg, and if she broods on that fertilized egg for 21 days will hatch a chick. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
hello,.. im looking into getting a few chickens and was wondering if you have any pictures of your coop from the out side? im trying to get ideas on how to make one myself and the ones on google are all like castles lol. i have never seen a chicken coop so i dont even have an idea of what it should look like. thanks
melissa
Melissa, this is a previous post that has a photo of my chicken coop, http://www.vintagegardengal.com/2009/07/15/tips-on-keeping-a-clean-chicken-coop/. Also, please go to my “Chicken” category on my left hand side bar, home page, http://www.vintagegardengal.com, for lots of information on backyard chickens, coops, etc. Thanks for your interest…VintageGardenGal
Do you know anyone that has a metal chicken nesting box for sale?
Debbie, sadly I don’t. Perhaps flea markets or searching online. Good luck…VintageGardenGal
Hi,
I just started researching chickens, coops & laying boxes because we are going to get some laying hens/chickens & I stumbled accoss your site.
We have an old 2 story barn that has seperate stalls & the end stall opens out to the back of the barn. I am wanting to know if I put the boxes inside & fenced off a good size area for the chickens to run around during the day, I could then lock them up at night by closing the barn door. Does that sound good & my other question is , is there anything to keep predator animals away except for a completly encompassed wire fence? Also, do chickens need yearly shots to help them from getting sick. Last question is… Is it better to get chickens as chicks and raise them or buy them already producing? I appreciate your time & website immensly for all us newbies… Thanks, Dawn
Dawn, your barn sounds wonderful. You are going to have to be careful of neighbor’s dogs, raccoons, hawks, coyotes, etc. Make sure your fenced off area is predator proof, and it is always a good idea to close your hens up at night. I close mine up every night. A wired enclosure secured with wood or steel framing, is about the only way to ward off predators. Even coyotes will try and access wired pens. Chickens do not need shots or medicine if they are healthy. Give your hens fresh water and laying mash along with fresh fruit and vegetables. If you notice something wrong with your hens, then consult your local aviary vet and/or feed store. It is a good idea to worm your chickens twice a year, too. For detailed information, read the posts under my chicken category, left side bar, on my home page. Good luck…VintageGardenGal
I have 2 chickens, 1 that I raised from a day old and I’ve had the other one for a few months. My kids recieved 2 Road Island Reds for Easter and are now ready to go out of my house!!! But Tootles and Gibbles try to kill them when we put them in the coop. Any advice?
Unfortunately, when you introduce new chickens into a flock, and especially of different ages, their can be problems. There is always a pecking order in a flock, but even more so with different ages. You are going to have to either tough it out, and see if they will get along, or keep them separated. Please don’t let them harm or kill each other. Sometimes, it helps if you introduce them to each other in the coop at nighttime when they are getting ready to sleep. Thanks for your comment..VintageGardenGal
Thanks…Looks like I will have to keep them seperated! They tried to kill them.
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