The Dirty Truth About Nesting Boxes

Nesting boxes are crucial if you want to collect eggs from your backyard flock. Egg hunts can be fun, but every day? Every single day? Not as fun. 😅

If you plan on collecting and eating (or selling!) the fruits of your chicken-raising labors, preventing daily egg hunts will be beneficial for you and your girls. Not to mention help prevent unwanted hatched biddies when you aren't ready or finding a pile of spoiled eggs in the heat of summer...

Regardless of the reasons you choose to have backyard chickens, a responsible chicken keeper knows that collecting eggs keeps everyone happy and healthy! 

Now that we've come to the agreement that having a designated laying spot is important, let's talk about what you need in a nesting box.

Believe it or not, chickens were laying eggs before we decided they were cute and we wanted to keep them in wallpapered coops with crystal chandeliers. 😉 

That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being egg-stra! Just remember that even if you'd like your girls to have the best of everything, there are some pretty simple rules to creating the perfect nesting box, and it's not as difficult as you may think. Use The 3-S Rule when you set up your girls' nesting boxes:

1. Safety

2. Space

3. Softness

Before all else, your girls are going to look for somewhere safe and dry to lay their eggs. You want the boxes to be free of drafts with three walls so they feel like they can concentrate on laying instead of watching for predators. A top, or lid to their box is also preferred, but hens will lay on the floor of an enclosed coop as readily as a nesting box. 

It's also important to keep your boxes clean and bug free, but remember that your definition of "clean" and a chicken's may not be the same, so don't stress too much. 😉

Regularly cleaning out the fluff and poo they'll inevitably leave behind will be sufficient for your girls. And if you want to get real fancy, adding some herbs to keep the bugs away and your girls calm can be an egg-stra incentive to lay in the box!

This is why we developed two herbal nesting box blends: Sariah's Floral Nest Refresh and Blanca's Spicy Nest Refresh. We want our girls to be calm and comfy while they do their work, and I've done all the research for you to save time! Check out some of the benefits of nesting herbs here.

One thing you'll learn quickly (if you haven't already) is that a chicken's gonna do what a chicken's gonna do! (Especially if you have a free spirit like our Azure Leghorn, Esther!) There are recommend nesting box dimensions that you can find, and they're wonderful guidelines, but you don't have to be exact. 

A good rule of thumb is: bantams, 10 inches x 10 inches; standard, 12 inches x 12 inches; large breeds (like Brahmas and Cochens), 14 inches x 14 inches; Jersey Giants, 18 inches x 18 inches.

Which begs the question: if I have a mixed flock, do I make different sized nesting boxes?

I mean, you sure could if you wanted to. But in all honesty, so long as your girls feel safe and comfortable, you can do what makes sense for you! One of our flocks has all standard, average sized breeds, so we chose to roughly follow the guideline of an interior space of 12x12 inches. Our other flock is a mixed bag from Ameracaunas to Jersey Giants, so we've decided to split the difference with 14x14 inch-ish boxes. The smaller birds will have oodles of room, and possibly share the boxes at the same time, while our big girls will still have space too move without wasting a ton of coop space or inviting bugs or other pests.

The final "S" could be considered one of the biggest Internet debates for keeping backyard chickens: what do you use as bedding in nesting boxes?

Hemp, straw, fake grass, shredded newspaper, silicone squares, wood chips... Honestly? It doesn't really matter! The most important thing to consider is your climate (because you don't want mold growing in your boxes), what you want to spend on nesting materials (newspapers = free, hemp = $$$), and your preference in cleaning; i.e. easy spray silicone squares or sifting straw.

Your girls comfort is also a consideration, but once again, chickens are resilient and will lay eggs in a pile of poo if they decide it's in a good enough spot. 🤣 If you're a worrier (like me), then try a couple of different things to see what you like working with and what your girls like nesting in!

We've opted for the Eaton Pet & Pasture Premium Nesting Pads (not a sponsor) because they're a. within our budget, b. fit perfectly in all of our various-sized boxes, c. are easy to keep clean and dry, and d. the girls love them.

It's an all-around win!

When all is said and done and you've decided what works best for your flock, nesting boxes are super important, and don't have to be overcomplicated.

During our own research stage, Pops and I went down a rabbit hole of DIY nesting boxes. We had already decided that we wanted to go with a traditional style attached to the exterior of our coop to maximize internal area, but oh my goodness the possibilities are endless!

A few of the stand out styles we noted were:

- the crate

- roll out boxes

- drop down door style

- repurposed water jug

- stacked tires

- bucket box

In short, a chicken will find something that meets The 3-S Rule and use it to lay eggs. 

What creative ideas have you come up for nesting boxes? Do you have an idea you'd like to try? Where is the oddest, funniest, or most ridiculous place you've found an egg? Share what you use for bedding with us! We'd love to hear about your experiences with your backyard flock.

As always fellow chicken tenders, stay meepy!

- The Triple-C Team