All About Nesting Boxes

All About Nesting Boxes

June 19, 2022

(One of the nesting boxes with some "gifts" from the girls!)

Nesting boxes are where your chickens lay their eggs - or at least where they should lay their eggs!

By providing enough boxes that are the right size, in the right location in your coop, filled with soft nesting material, you can encourage your chickens to use the boxes so your eggs will be clean and unbroken when you go to collect them.

How Many Nesting Boxes Do I Need?

Rule of thumb is that you should have one nesting box for every 3-4 hens, but realistically, all of your chickens will want to use just one or two boxes - even if all the boxes are nearly identical.

Some call this the "Nesting Box Wars".  If you are fortunate, your chickens will act like ladies and patiently wait their turn to lay in the coveted box.

How Big Do The Nesting Boxes Need To Be?

Your nesting boxes should be at least 12" square - and closer to 14" square if you have larger breeds such as buffs, australorps or Sussex.

If your boxes are too large, hens will be more likely to try to squeeze into a box while another hen is laying, which can lead to broken eggs - not a good thing!

What Should I Put Inside The Nesting Boxes?

Generally, a good choice for the material inside is chicken coop shavings.

A dusting of food-grade diatomaceous earth in the bottom of the boxes can help prevent mites and lice, and a handful of dried nesting box herbs will not only repel insects and rodents, but help to calm sitting hens and also smell good.

If you have young chickens just about ready to start laying, putting some fake "eggs" (plastic Easter eggs, golf balls, or even large stones) in the boxes can teach them where they are supposed to lay their eggs and encourage them to use the boxes.

Where Should The Nesting Boxes Be Placed?

Some coops have the nesting boxes at floor level, others position them a bit higher for more convenient egg collecting.

Some coops feature nesting boxes that can be opened from outside the coop for even easier collecting.

Regardless of how you set up your boxes, you want to be sure that they are lower than your roosts.

Chickens instinctively seek high ground when they sleep, and if your boxes are higher than your roosts, your chickens will start sleeping in the boxes and pooping in them - leading to dirty nesting material and dirty eggs.

Since chickens tend to collect poop and mud on their feet, situating your nesting boxes across the coop from the pop door that the chickens use can help to keep your eggs cleaner.

By making the chickens walk across the length of the coop floor, the shavings on the floor will help clean off their feet before they hop into a box to lay their egg.

One last note: If your chickens suddenly stop using the nesting boxes, you'll want to check for rodents, snakes or mites.

The presence of these unwanted pests in the nesting boxes can cause a flock to look elsewhere for a safe place for their eggs.

Thanks for reading!