Getting ready to build/buy a chicken coop this week. When looking at premade coops I found that some are rated for up to 15 chickens but only have 5 nesting boxes. I thought each hen had to have its own nesting box. There were 2 6ft roosting bars for the sleeping chickens. And as long as I have your attention, how big should I plan for the run?
Thank you in advance good timebombers.
Allow me to chuckle profusely before I post my reply.
OK.
Now, to share a little bit of chicken wisdom, learned after raising those cantankerous bags of feathers for eleven years.
it doesn’t matter how many nests you have for the ladies - they will only use one or two of them. The rest will go unused.
I see - on a daily basis - hens cackle and complain on and on because they are ready to lay their egg, and there is somebody else already in the most favored nest. I have watched as a second hen climbs in to the most favored nest to lay her egg right along side the other hen - even though there is an identical nest right next to the one they are fighting over that is vacant and ready for use.
In fact, I have watched while - for a period of time - one nest is favored over another, and the girls would rather wait for the most favored nest than use an identical, empty one right next to the nest most favored today - but then, for no good reason, the “most favored nest” changes, and they all begin to fight over another nest instead. Usually, a nest seems to remain the most favored one for anywhere from one to three months before they all decide to switch to another nest. But it does seem that when one finally switches to another nest, they all do. And the loud cackling complaints, doubling inside the nest to lay, and even occasional fights over the nests continues.
No matter which nest they want to all use.
They are like children who all want to play with the same toy.