The nesting box is essential for you, the flock keeper, unless you enjoy searching the yard, outbuildings and under every bush or overhang for eggs!
In this article we cover the basics of nesting boxes including: best placement, recommended sizes, and how many you need for your flock.
We then present both, shop bought solutions, and also DIY plans with simple step-by-step instructions so you can build your own. We will show you the various types and explain their advantages and disadvantages.
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I keep 4 hens in a coop that has 3 nesting boxes in the back of the henhouse, and they all use the same one. What's weird is they'll use the furthest one from the door for a while, then for no reason that I can tell, they'll switch to the one nearest the door. They never use the middle one.
I use sand instead of straw or shavings because my newest hens, Jane and Anne, kick all the straw out as fast as I can put it in. I have no idea why, because the older ones never have done that.
The nesting material isn't there for their comfort, it's there to keep the eggs from breaking because what a lot of folks don't realize is that a hen doesn't lay while it's sitting on the nest, they lay from a standing or squatting position. The sand just gives it a little padding and the two newer hens don't kick it all out.
