Last edited Tue Aug 7, 2012, 10:10 PM - Edit history (1)

i get to read the answer. we are getting to that point soon.

I've never heard of using buckets, cool idea!

it's very easy to sanitize a bucket! A round bucket can be stabilized with a couple of bricks.

Maybe I'll get one of each shape and do a side by side comparison!

For some reason they didn't like the square one we stuck out there after we ran out of round ones. I don't know why. Then again they also arbitrarily decided they'd rather wait in line for a few favored round buckets than use another bucket that's exactly the same. Our chickens are weird.

Just be sure to put a strip across the bottom of the mouth of each bucket or they'll drag their nest material out all the time.

[font size=4 face=Tahoma]Depends on the chicken,
but I wouldn't really know,
cause I turned out to be a Rooster!
Err--Err- a- Errr![/font]


We have 9 hens of different varieties
and they lay in traditional square boxes.
The amusing thing is that in a row of 8 identical boxes,
they ALL prefer two particular boxes,
and will wait in line and bitch at the other girls to Hurry Up!

We added two more square boxes in a different area,
and two birds have claimed ONE of these two boxes as their own.
They will also bitch at each other to Hurry Up! instead using the vacant box.

Things are going to get interesting over the next week
because we have 10 more young hens starting to lay.

Your post raised my curiosity,
and I am going to experiment with a round laying nest.
I'll let you know what happens.

My personal guess is that the shape doesn't matter near as much as the location,
and whichever box they hens, in their communal wisdom, decide is the best one.

The other day I thought they were being eaten by a predator and went running out there only to find they were throwing fits because a few had decided to linger in the favored boxes. One of the hens was actually sitting on top of another hen in the nest. The rest were just standing at the bottom of the ramp yelling.

I have six nests for six hens and they lay all the eggs in 2 nests.

They like their boxes to be clean, well filled with hay or shavings, and in a quiet, darker spot. They prefer corners; boxes that are in corners, or, if they lay in a larger area, they will lay in the corner of that area. I have a couple of small "shelters" that I keep filled with hay, and they often lay in there.

As a flock, they will choose one or two spots and all will lay their eggs in the same place. They don't want a separate "nest" unless they get broody.

i've raised budgies, and i always made them boxes out of cereal boxes, or some such, and they can just be tossed when they are done with them.
anyone do this for chickens?

They are really never "done" with them, although they don't lay during molt, and lay quite a bit less in the winter since I don't add light.

It would probably work if you wanted to replace them periodically, but you'd need heavy-duty cardboard, like shipping boxes.

I've found that they seem to prefer dark, hidden places. If they can find it, they'll prefer something with a little cover overhead; if not, they'll choose a darker corner somewhere.

I was proud of them and knew for sure the hens would be, too. 1 year later, they still lay in the loose straw in my goat kid creep feeder. I did rework the boxes into a toolbox.

Hope your hens show more appreciation for your hard work than mine did!

I have a set of two connected "official" factory made galvanized nest boxes hanging about 18 inches off the floor, and old ice chest and a plastic milk crate both sitting on the floor. All 4 have a layer of alfalfa hay in the bottom and one white golf ball for enticing. the usual distribution of eggs is a single or 2 in the milk crate, 3 or 4 in the ice chest, 3 or 4 in the left side of the nest boxes, 5 or 6 in the right side. usually one egg loose on the floor near the "human" door to the coop.

they clearly prefer the right hand side of the double nest box and the milk crate is their least favorite