Buy Chicken Nesting Boxes [UPD]

When it comes to nesting boxes, there are many different options and opinions about what is best for keeping hens laying. Sometimes it is hard to decide what will benefit your flock, so I have created this ultimate guide to chicken nesting boxes.

buy chicken nesting boxes

It is natural for birds to find a secluded place to build a nest. Your chickens are no different; they will look for a secluded place to lay their eggs. This can be anywhere not necessarily a nesting box.

Nesting boxes were created so the chickens would lay their eggs in one, safe place and be easier for the chicken keepers to gather the eggs. Chickens will lay eggs without nesting boxes but they might seek other options that may lead to predators and other chickens getting their eggs. Watch my video below to see what can happen if your chickens find a different area to use as a nesting box.

Note: If you are just starting out with a few laying hens, it is a good idea to think about if you plan to expand your flock in the future. You will want to build your coop and the number of nesting boxes accordingly.

Whether you are building your own chicken nesting boxes or buying them prebuilt, you will want to be sure they are the right size for your laying hens. You will want your chickens to have enough room to turn around, but not enough that the chickens can share it.

There are many different options when it comes to adding nesting boxes to your chicken coop. You can buy premade chicken nesting boxes, build your own, or repurpose other materials. No matter which nesting box you choose, there are a few things to keep in mind.

When buying nesting boxes you can find them available in singles, or in rows. They can be made out of different materials like metal, plastic, or wood. You can purchase nesting boxes that can be added from the outside of your coop or attached to the inside wall.

A newer chicken nesting box that can be purchased is the roll-out design. These are a little pricey but the idea is that when the hens lay their eggs they roll out the back of the nesting box. This prevents broody hen behavior and egg-eating habits.

Just make sure your repurposed materials are heavy-duty enough to hold your hens, easy to gather eggs from, and are able to be cleaned regularly. The chicken nesting boxes should keep your hens safe so they feel secure enough to lay eggs there.

When your hens roost they look for the highest place possible, and if that is your nesting boxes, then you will end up with chicken poop in them. So make sure that your roosts are higher up than your nesting boxes (and having your roosting bars higher in your chicken coop also helps keep chickens warm in the winter).

Chickens like to lay their eggs in a comfy environment so adding bedding to your boxes can help with that. Simple bedding solutions include straw and wood shavings, but I have seen other store-bought nesting box liners as well. The important thing is that your chickens like laying eggs in the bedding and that way the eggs are also kept clean.

Another thing that I like to add to our nesting box bedding is herbs, because adding herbs to your nesting boxes has many awesome health benefits. They can help keep out pests and even help stimulate egg production. To find out more about adding herbs take a look at this post about Herbs for Chicken Nesting Boxes.

Your chickens may naturally seek out their new nesting boxes and lay with no problem, but there always seems to be one or two that need a little prompting. Luckily there are a few things you can try to get your reluctant hens to use the nesting boxes you have provided.

If your nesting boxes have been placed in the right location, then your chickens will rarely sleep in them, which means no poop. But a dirty nesting box does occasionally happen, so the best way to maintain your nesting boxes is to check them over as you gather your eggs.

Chickens wander in the run or free range in the yard and it is best to clean them once a month or so to prevent any unwanted bacteria or pests from being brought into your nesting boxes. Remove bedding from boxes and clean them out with a chicken-friendly natural cleaner. (You can find different recipes in my Natural Homesteading Ebook). Let the nesting boxes sit for a while to dry and then fill them with your choice of new fresh bedding.

Chicken nesting boxes were created to make egg-gathering easier for those that would like to be more self-sufficient and keep laying hens. You can buy nesting boxes, build your own, use what you already have, or be creative and combine these options. Your nesting boxes should provide a safe, clean environment for your hens and the eggs that you will be bringing into your kitchen.

There is a ton of information out there about almost every aspect of chicken keeping and it can be easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. If you are looking for more about chicken keeping, listen to Ingenious Chicken Keeping with Harvey Ussery from the Old Fashioned on Purpose Podcast.

As more people turn to raising chickens for eggs or meat, most of them want to save money in keeping with their desire for self-sustaining living. One option is to upcycle materials from around the farm into creative and surprising chicken nesting boxes.

The basic purpose of chicken nesting boxes is to encourage hens to lay their eggs in a clean cubicle in relative peace and privacy. A properly built nest assures that eggs are kept in a good environment for collection or hatching. Chickens are not particular about where they lay their eggs; however, a suitable nest box in which to lay eggs can make things flow more smoothly around the farm. No one wants to hunt for eggs, except perhaps at Easter!

Most chicken experts recommend an average of one nesting space per five birds. Others say no more than one nest per 3-4 birds, which is more in keeping with the Five Freedoms guidance that promotes proper animal welfare. On the other end of the scale, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs advises a ratio of one nesting box to seven hens. Overall, the minimum standards suggest not over-burdening chicken nesting boxes.

Some chicken owners choose to provide ladders to the nests, but predators will also use this and render the nests unsafe. Instead, let hens fly up to nearby roosts and amble into their nests on perches you install in front of nest entrances.

2) Cut three six-inch pieces of wire. Mark and drill a 4-inch-high piece of wood to go across the front entrance to retain straw. Make sure the wood is long enough to cover the front of the basket along the bottom. Also, drill corresponding holes in the basket. Secure with the pieces of wire, making sure to tuck the ends of wire carefully beneath to protect chickens from getting cut.

Ideally, the boxes will be placed in an area of the coop that is fairly dark and not too busy. The height of the nest box should be no less than 18 inches from the floor and can be as high as a few feet off the ground.They should not be at the same height as your roosting bars, or you may find your hens sleeping in the boxes! Although this is not a major catastrophe, you will get tired of mucking out the nest boxes each morning.

A standard nest box for regular chickens such as Leghorns, Sussex, Plymouth Rocks, and hybrid layers needs to be a 12-inch cube, 12 inches tall, wide and deep. This will fit the average hen quite nicely.Larger birds such as Jersey Giants will need 12 inches deep, 14 inches wide, and 12 inches tall. Bantam hens can get away with a slightly smaller box of 10 inches deep, 12 inches wide, and 10 inches high.These measurements make the box snug, and there are reasons for that. If the hens have too much room, they tend to kick out the bedding material. It also discourages hens from bunking up together to lay eggs.

Ready-made plastic laying boxes are generally the cheapest ones on the market; they are ideal for beginners and small flocks.As you buy them individually, it gives you the flexibility to fix them outside the coop or other suitable locations (such as nearby trees or outbuildings).Also, being plastic makes them very easy to clean.Metal

What about boxes for Indian Runners? They move around in their Taj Mahal duck house and lay where ever they feel like. None of them are interested in brooding but that ok . Id just like to not have to search all over for the new nest.

The best nesting boxes are mostly for your benefit, not your chickens. Of course, your chickens will need a comfy space to lay their eggs, and ensuring the boxes you pick are safe and secure will go a long way.

If you want to build a DIY nest box, I provide the dimensions for different size hens, and I also look at some popular nest boxes if you would prefer to buy chicken nest boxes rather than build them.

Although most chicken houses come with nesting boxes already built-in, there are times when we need to build or buy stand-alone chicken nesting boxes, such as when converting a second-hand garden shed into a chicken house or when making a chicken coop of your own.

Nest box bedding material will need to be changed when it gets dirty. Hens should be discouraged from sleeping in their nest boxes at night because they will leave muck in them, covering your eggs in unwelcome bacteria. It is best to change bedding if this happens or if an egg breaks.

Nest box locations just off the floor tend to work better than high places. Try to ensure roosting bars are higher than nest boxes. This discourages hens from roosting in nesting boxes at night.

If you still have difficulty getting your hens to lay in the right place, try to block off the other sites they have found and pop a few rubber dummy eggs into the nesting boxes. They will think other hens have been laying in there and will usually find it a more attractive option. 041b061a72