Rules to Follow for Chicken Nesting Boxes
Keeping chickens is a good way to be self-sufficient. These birds are inexpensive to buy, they can be looked after easily and they provide a good source of eggs. Normally, one chicken nesting box can be shared by no more than four birds. Each box must be located roughly 18″ to 24″ elevated from the ground so that eggs can be collected easily.
They should also have a top which slopes down and ends under the roosting perch as this is the place where the birds sit and lay eggs in the nesting boxes. You should build a roosting perch for the chickens to have some place to sit, and this should also be at 18″ to 24″ above the ground. Also, each chicken needs eight to ten inches of the perching area to sit on.
Dimensions for the Nesting Box
These come in a large variety of shapes and sizes, as well as materials, which can be metal, wood or plastic. But one thing you should always look out for is that they should be easy to clean, as you want to put in the least amount of effort as possible. Chickens are not demanding animals, all they need is a few basics and they are good to go.
The box should be slightly larger than the chicken. the box does not need to be large, as chickens prefer a cozy fit where they can lay their eggs. You should just make sure that the dimension of the box is slightly bugger than the area occupied by the hen when it is crouching.
Materials you will need:
Unstained exterior grade plywood, 2×4 (12″ deep, 12″ width, 12″ length from side mount to the inside of the nesting box)
Construct the roosting perch around one inch elevated from one end of the box to ensure that the hen sits on the perch to lay eggs into the box.
Various types of perches are:
· Miniature chickens – inch thick wood needed
· Regular-sized chickens – 2″ thick wood needed
· Heavy breeds – flat roosts needed. Make each perch out of 2x4s, keep the wide side flat and round off the corners.
Also, to keep the nesting boxes clean, you might want to place some corrugated cardboard or roofing shingles in them. If the eggs begin to crack in the nesting box, this is a sign of bacteria growth and it must be taken care of immediately.