If you plan to gather eggs from your hens you will need chicken coop nest boxes. Chicken nesting boxes can also be used if you want your hens to hatch the eggs themselves instead of you using an incubator. Chicken coop nest boxes are easy to build or buy and they are an important part of the coop. Here are some tips on nesting boxes.
For most breeds of chickens, you need one nesting box for every three or four hens.
A chicken coop nest box should be at least one foot long, wide, and deep. If you have the space to make them a little larger, that would be great.
Chicken coop nest boxes must have some type of material inside them. There are several options for this. Many growers prefer to use pine wood shavings as the nesting material. Others like to use newspaper or straw. When it comes to nesting material, you may need to experiment with a few before you learn what your hens like best.
It is usually a good idea to place some type of support in front of the nest box so your hen can get into the box easily and safely.
The material inside the nesting box must be cleaned out occasionally and new material put in. This helps your hen stay clean and also helps to prevent insects such as lice and mites from taking up residence in her nest.
You should never place roosting bars directly over your chicken coop nest boxes. Chickens defecate while they sleep and that waste will fall into the nesting box and perhaps onto the hen or egg.
A great way to build chicken coop nest boxes is to purchase online plans for them. You can find a variety of sizes and shapes and are sure to find a set of plans that fit your individual needs. For those new to nesting boxes, this is often the fastest and most economical way to get started.
You can, if you wish, buy pre-built nesting boxes, but these tend to be fairly expensive. Anyone with a few hand tools and some good plans can build nesting boxes quickly and easily. And when you have the plans in hand, you can build as many as you want, when you want.
Don’t forget, having a well-thought out chicken coop nesting plan is crucial to your overall success. Doing this can increase your egg production and reduce stress in your hens. Placing your chicken coop nest boxes where they can be maintained and cleaned easily will make your work a lot easier and much more enjoyable.