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Chicken nesting boxes and roosts

By the Fluff & Feed team · Updated

A brown egg in a straw nest

Plan on one nest box for every 4 to 5 hens and 6 to 10 inches of roost per bird, per Utah State University Extension. We count each nest hole as 4 hens and each 10 inches of roost as one hen, the cautious end of both.

How we count hens

Utah State University Extension says "one nest box is required for each four to five hens" and recommends 6 to 10 inches of perch per bird. Oregon State Extension gives about the same numbers. We use 4 hens per nest hole and 10 inches of roost per hen, so the count leans cautious. For box size, Utah State suggests 12 to 15 inches high and wide and at least 12 inches deep.

Sources: Utah State University Extension, Oregon State University Extension.

13 of 13 nest boxes and roosts match

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