Re: [CHICKENS-101] Coop/Nest Box Question

 

Di, If your nest boxes are 9 inches they will all crowd into 9 inches.  If they are 12 inches, they'll crowd in. I'd give them a bit bigger nest box and a 12 inch nest box.  One 6 can fit into might be a good idea.  If you are going to make your nest boxes so they open from the outside for silkies, good luck.  Silkies lay their eggs where they want to and where they think they can hide them from you.  You might want to have a latch system w/ heavy duty wood that a raccoon or possum can't open; they are 8-15 lbs of pure strong muscle.  A raccon or opossum tore up a rabbit hutch pen made of sturdy double fencing w/ oak 2 x4's, and a 1 inch strong plywood.
The rest of your pen sounds great.  You will want to put hardware fencing around the bottom of their outdoor pen and maybe even around their house.  :) Cathryn

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How big should the nest box be for silkies? Twelve inches seems awfully tiny, but I'm afraid if I make the nest boxes bigger the birds will pile into the nest boxes to sleep at night. Any suggestions?

 

Also, I'm planning a rather small coop to hold 6 silkies. The enclosed portion for nighttime will be 4' by 3'; the nest boxes will not take up any of that floor space, as I'll going to attach them to the outside wall with hinged roofs for collecting the eggs. The "outside" part of the coop will be roofed and will be 4' x 5'. They will only be confined to the coop at night of if the weather is bad.

 

The 'girls' will have an outside run that will be at least 8' 15'. Part will be shaded, part will be open to the sun; all will be wired over. (I have seen 2 mated pairs of large hawks, 2 ospreys, and a bald eagle in the last week. One of the hawks actually landed in the yard for some unknown reason. I have no intention of serving them up a silkie smorgasbord. )

 

Is this (the enclosed part of the coop and the "open" part of the coop) big enough? What about the nest boxes?

 

Also, I'm planning on having food and water available in both the enclosed section of the coop and the "outside section of the coop. I will have water available in the run; not sure if I should have food available out there, too. Your thoughts?

 

Di
Central Florida Zone 9a/b

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