6 hens how many nest boxes

Durvet Healthy Flock Poultry Vitamins gm. Table of Contents show. Why Can't Chickens Fly? What Can't Chickens Eat? Brower B Hole Poultry Nest , Gray 10 holes in 2 tiers; hen capacity Nest bottoms removable for easy cleaning and litter Easy to assemble with a screwdriver and wrench - no rivet High quality galvanized steel construction; All exposed That's nothing.

We name them. Related Posts. About The Author. Charles Joseph I've been raising chickens since -- initially for their eggs and to keep our yard clear of bugs and now as pets.

If you're interested, you can read my story here -- Sorry Chicken. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Poultry Waterer, 2 sizes In Stock. A: With all the investment you've made in your flock, you don't want your precious chicken, duck, or goose eggs to be laid just anywhere in the yard where they can become lost or spoil before you find them. Providing your birds with the correct number of nesting boxes that are sized and situated properly can help ensure that your flocks' eggs remain fresh and clean and are easy to collect in a timely manner.

Nest box needs are different for chickens, ducks, and geese. You can find tips for all three types of birds below.

Chicken Nest Boxes Location: Hens like to lay in a dark, safe area that is generally away from the traffic of the flock. Your nesting boxes should be positioned up off the ground at least a few inches to provide the laying hens with some privacy and to keep other birds from scratching around the eggs, potentially stepping on them and breaking them. Many chicken-keepers raise their nest boxes or coops high enough to keep from having to stoop over so much to collect eggs every day.

This higher elevation also may provide protection from some predators. While chicken nest boxes should be elevated, it is most important that they be lower than the lowest roosting poles in your coop. For security, chickens seek the highest roost to sleep on at night, so if your nest boxes are higher than your perches, it is likely that some of your birds will sleep and poop!

Positioning your nest boxes and roosts correctly will help keep this from happening. Hens may lay anywhere, even in an old sack of bedding! Size: In general all poultry nesting boxes should be cozy without being tight. Since chickens come in many different sizes--from the very large Black Jersey Giant to the tiny Serama and everything in between--you have some leeway when sizing your nest boxes, depending on the breeds you keep.

The smallest box we would recommend for standard-sized breeds would be 10 inches cubed, but most commercial nest boxes for standard breeds are roughly 11 or 12 inches cubed. A little smaller would okay for bantams; 11" - 12" cubed should be large enough even for bigger birds like Cochins, Orpingtons, etc. Bantams however will typically roost at around ft high, they are smaller this makes sense.

But overall, most chicken breeds will want to roost around ft of the ground as standard. Shade underneath the coop is a HUGE bonus. What do I mean? If the coop is off the ground and the birds can get under, it will provide shelter from the direct sunlight and give the chickens a welcome rest during the summer months.

Its very easy for chicken to suffer from heat related illness and providing them with somewhere to cool off is a big tick in the box. Mine have a dust bowl underneath the coop where they go when they are too hot and to clean themselves. Shade is good! A chicken coop for 6 chickens will have to be cleaned every month or two.

A coop with a removable tray metal is best that you can just pull out and dust off and place back is so much easier than trying to get in the coop yourself and move around with a small brush and a trash bag. Moveable — do you plan to move the coop so they can access fresh grass etc. If so a lightweight coop will save you back ache. I hang a thermometer on the inside of the door that on really hot days and cold days I can open the door and give the temperature a quick read.

I bought a cheap thermometer for this nothing special and id suggest you get one like this too. We have covered all the aspects that make the best coops so ill waste no time….

The best chicken coop without a run, so if you plan to let them out in the morning and have them free range is below:. Click HERE! JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.

Number of nest boxes for 6 hens. Thread starter shannacrew Start date Feb 24, Sort by date Sort by reaction score. Feb 23, 33 4 I'm currently building the coop and run for our baby chicks. How many nest boxes will I need for our 6 med-large breed hens? Ridgerunner Crossing the Road 12 Years. Feb 2, 28, 22, Southeast Louisiana.

I'd go with two. Most of them will use th esame one, but I like the flexibility a second one gives you. Certainly no more than two though. Oct 4, 1, 27 athens, wv. You could do 3 but like ridgerunner said they'll prob all try to hog one box. Going Quackers Crowing 10 Years. May 24, 7, On, Canada. I"d go with 2, as said. I believe if my memory recalls right, 1 box for every 4 hens?