Solitary chicken - need advice

[jackieb]

Not fortunate enough to have an eglu yet so in the meantime:-

 

Can the nest box be seperate from the coop in our new walk in run.

 

The house is too big really for our 4 chooks and on the side is a 3 nest box extension. Hubby's a carpenter so it's no problem for the nest box extension to be taken off, a new side put into the coop and the nest box situated elsewhere in the run. We would have to make a front for it so they get a bit of privacy at laying time.

 

My question is, does the nest box have to be within the house? We could then turn the chicken house in the run to make more room for the chickens.

[Sara-W]

I don't think that the nest box has to be within the house, just as long as it offers privacy and comfort for laying. Our local country park has seperate nest boxes and the hens look very happy to me!

Sara x

Endora Sally Henny Penny Esme

Evelyn Sybil Enid Queenie Mildred RIP Agatha

Delilah Jemimah Lola

Unnamed chicks

[Woodcat]

hey

 

I've got an extra nesting box in the run and some of them prefer it. Mine consists of an old bedside chest of draws all but the bottom draw taken out and a teatowl that hangs in front over half of the opening. You might want to put some golf balls or fake eggs in the nesting boxes when you move them just so that they don't get confused they can be remarkably silly about these things

 

Beth

[jackieb]

Panic over, we've decided to cut it down in size effectively taking 12 inches off the depth of the house. It's big enough for 13 to 20 chickens 6x4 in size, as the most we ever expect to have at one time is 6 we figure we can cut it down to 6x3. Lucky I have a carpenter in the house!!