Chicken laying boxes, whatever they are made from need to be kept clean. Our Chickens nesting boxes are of vital importance to us as keepers of Chickens and we don't want an unsuitable environment for the eggs to be layed or for the Hen to incubate her eggs.
Even being a Chicken owner who is fairly fastiduos about keeping the Chicken Coop clean and thi s includes keeping the laying boxes clean, I still regularly get less than perfectly clean eggs. We shall look at some of the best ways of cleaning the Chicken nesting boxes, or as we sometimes mix up two descriptions, the Chicken laying box.
What To Use As Bedding For Chickens
There are any number of differnet materials we can use for Hen laying boxes. We just need something that is not too coarse for the Hens while they are laying and also something that will safely cushion the eggs as they are layed. Pieces of shreded newspaper are ideal if they are in abundance as a liner for nesting boxes as are things like hay if it is in fairly small pieces.
What I find ideal though is sawdust. Sawdust for Chickens bedding in their Chicken nest is ideal for a number of reasons. Primarily I recommend sawdust for lining nesting boxes for Chicken because it is cheap and it works so well. If you use sawdust it will absorb any droppings quite well and will also keep the poultry nesting boxes extremely clean as it absorbs so much.
Cleaning Chicken Nesting Boxes
How to clean Chicken laying boxes is straightforward, especially if you use plastic or metal nesting boxes for Chickens. If you do then it is a simple matter of emptying out the sawdust or whatever material you use as a lining for the Hen laying boxes, and giving it a thorough rinse. If you get a bowl of warm water with some liquid detergent then this should be sufficient. Simply clean out the Hen laying boxes by washing out in the soapy water. Simple and very quick.
For wooden Chicken nesting boxes you may have a little more work ahead of you. Wood can absorb a lot of smells and can easily become ingrained with Chicken droppings. If the Hens laying boxes are very dirty and grimy then something like a putty knife may be your best bet to begin with. Scrape off everything you can on the nesting boxes for Chickens before you go any further.
After the Hen laying boxes are relatively clean via this method then use the soapy water as just described. If you do this early in the day after the hens have laid then I would recommend that you also add a little bleach to the water. Give the Chicken nesting boxes a thorough clean and then leave outside to dry for a while. This will get rid off any of the bad smells the bleach may cause. Ensure you have also rinsed off as much of the mild bleach solution as you can with soapy water as well. You do not want to harm your Hens by letting them inhale bleach.
When it comes to cleaning Chicken laying boxes or nesting boxes there really is not much more to it than that.
Chicken Egg Laying
We have looked at how to make Chicken laying boxes or a Chicken nest, but sometimes we have problems getting the quota of eggs we require from our birds. Under ideal conditions a Chicken will lay an egg nearly every day. However conditions are not always ideal and however many books on Chickens we may wish we had bought, if you don't own a good book on raising Poultry then I will try to cover the subject for you here.
Chicken nesting boxes, as we have seen can be fancy or they can be homemade and quite basic. For Hen laying boxes we can keep it quite simple if we wish, the Chickens spend minimal time laying their eggs and it only needs to be functional, although those who are keeping Pet Chickens may have an eye on the aesthetics of the Chicken Coop as well as wishing for a good and regular supply of eggs. Chicken laying can be interrupted by quite a few different external factors and we will be looking at them in detail. A Chicken nest is seldom the cause as long as the laying boxes for Hens meet some basic requirements.
Chicken Stopped Laying?
There are a number of factors that can effect Chicken laying. The main reasons are:
This is by no means a complete list but these are the main reasons why a Hen may stop laying. Housing Chickens, as with their Hen laying boxes, can be simple or more involved. Again, as long as they have some relative comfort the Chicken Coop is seldom the factor that will make Chickens stop laying. As long as it is not too cold and you provide a few Chicken laying boxes it is normally one of the above factors that will cause a Hen to stop laying.
There are a few things we can do to keep Chicken laying problems to a minimum. We cannot always do anything to help but for a few of the reasons behind Chickens not laying we can do something to help.
A shock or a fright can cause a Hen to stop laying. If it becomes scared or something new and out of the ordinary happens within its environment then it may stop laying. This could be for a day or sometimes it can be for a week or two.
What can we do if Chicken laying stops because of a fright?
We need to try to ensure that it does not happen. A fright can be caused by a Dog trying to attack the Hens, adding new stock to their environment, thunder and lightening or any number of causes that are seen as upsetting to our birds. To minimise the problem we should always ensure that Dogs and other animals have no way of getting in to the Chicken laying area or anywhere near the Chicken compound. The area should be well secured from animals and if we can keep all other wildlife away from the Hens then they will be much calmer. There are other ways that shock can stop birds laying, the weather is pretty much out of our control but should never cause more than a day or two without laying.
Adding new Hens to an established flock can be a problem. It is never recommended if possible as it can disrupt the flock. The Chicken nest may be ignored for a few days if new additions arrive. To minimise this try keeping them separated by wire for a week or so. They can gradually become accustomed to each other without any bullying occurring and it should minimise Chicken laying interruptions.
Chicken Egg Laying Video
The age of a Hen is the deciding factor when it comes to egg laying. Chicken laying has a finite time span. All Chickens have a predetermined number of eggs that they will lay throughout their life. They will lay the majority of them within the first two years of their life. So you better have a sturdy Chicken nest if you are going to keep your birds for the rest of their lives! They will continue to lay for years but the number of eggs they lay in any given week begins to decrease dramatically after Chicken laying has passed the first few years.
If your Chicken is approaching two years old then there is nothing you can really do to increase egg production. It is simply the Chickens age that is causing the Chicken laying to decrease. The solution? Well, you can keep Pet Chickens. Keeping Chickens as Pets is one option or culling is the other. You will then simply need to replace the birds with point of lay Hens.
The other main way why you will see a reduction in egg laying and what many books on Chickens will tell you, is the lack of daylight. When the days become shorter most Chicken Laying will be reduced. If the weather is cold then this will become more severe. Chicken nesting boxes will have little to play in this cause. They could be very comfortable indeed but a Hen laying box will make no difference if the daylight hours are short.
There is a very simple solution if Chicken laying has decreased as the hours of light do. You simply need to increase the hours of light to a more suitable duration. The simplest way to do this is by simply providing artificial light to improve Hens egg laying. A medium watt bulb will probably be sufficient in a small space. Increase the amount of light so they have about 14 hours of light and you should see a return to an egg being layed almost every day. This is a simple but effective technique if you have seen a drastic reduction in Hen laying because the days have become shorter.
Hopefully these few tips from "Chicken Nesting Boxes" will see you getting more eggs each day than you possibly eat and return the Chicken laying to a more regular routine.
Chicken nesting boxes, as we have seen can be fancy or they can be homemade and quite basic. For Hen laying boxes we can keep it quite simple if we wish, the Chickens spend minimal time laying their eggs and it only needs to be functional, although those who are keeping Pet Chickens may have an eye on the aesthetics of the Chicken Coop as well as wishing for a good and regular supply of eggs. Chicken laying can be interrupted by quite a few different external factors and we will be looking at them in detail. A Chicken nest is seldom the cause as long as the laying boxes for Hens meet some basic requirements.
Chicken Stopped Laying?
There are a number of factors that can effect Chicken laying. The main reasons are:
- A Shock
- The Age of the Hen
- The amount of daylight available
This is by no means a complete list but these are the main reasons why a Hen may stop laying. Housing Chickens, as with their Hen laying boxes, can be simple or more involved. Again, as long as they have some relative comfort the Chicken Coop is seldom the factor that will make Chickens stop laying. As long as it is not too cold and you provide a few Chicken laying boxes it is normally one of the above factors that will cause a Hen to stop laying.
There are a few things we can do to keep Chicken laying problems to a minimum. We cannot always do anything to help but for a few of the reasons behind Chickens not laying we can do something to help.
A shock or a fright can cause a Hen to stop laying. If it becomes scared or something new and out of the ordinary happens within its environment then it may stop laying. This could be for a day or sometimes it can be for a week or two.
What can we do if Chicken laying stops because of a fright?
We need to try to ensure that it does not happen. A fright can be caused by a Dog trying to attack the Hens, adding new stock to their environment, thunder and lightening or any number of causes that are seen as upsetting to our birds. To minimise the problem we should always ensure that Dogs and other animals have no way of getting in to the Chicken laying area or anywhere near the Chicken compound. The area should be well secured from animals and if we can keep all other wildlife away from the Hens then they will be much calmer. There are other ways that shock can stop birds laying, the weather is pretty much out of our control but should never cause more than a day or two without laying.
Adding new Hens to an established flock can be a problem. It is never recommended if possible as it can disrupt the flock. The Chicken nest may be ignored for a few days if new additions arrive. To minimise this try keeping them separated by wire for a week or so. They can gradually become accustomed to each other without any bullying occurring and it should minimise Chicken laying interruptions.
Chicken Egg Laying Video
The age of a Hen is the deciding factor when it comes to egg laying. Chicken laying has a finite time span. All Chickens have a predetermined number of eggs that they will lay throughout their life. They will lay the majority of them within the first two years of their life. So you better have a sturdy Chicken nest if you are going to keep your birds for the rest of their lives! They will continue to lay for years but the number of eggs they lay in any given week begins to decrease dramatically after Chicken laying has passed the first few years.
If your Chicken is approaching two years old then there is nothing you can really do to increase egg production. It is simply the Chickens age that is causing the Chicken laying to decrease. The solution? Well, you can keep Pet Chickens. Keeping Chickens as Pets is one option or culling is the other. You will then simply need to replace the birds with point of lay Hens.
The other main way why you will see a reduction in egg laying and what many books on Chickens will tell you, is the lack of daylight. When the days become shorter most Chicken Laying will be reduced. If the weather is cold then this will become more severe. Chicken nesting boxes will have little to play in this cause. They could be very comfortable indeed but a Hen laying box will make no difference if the daylight hours are short.
There is a very simple solution if Chicken laying has decreased as the hours of light do. You simply need to increase the hours of light to a more suitable duration. The simplest way to do this is by simply providing artificial light to improve Hens egg laying. A medium watt bulb will probably be sufficient in a small space. Increase the amount of light so they have about 14 hours of light and you should see a return to an egg being layed almost every day. This is a simple but effective technique if you have seen a drastic reduction in Hen laying because the days have become shorter.
Hopefully these few tips from "Chicken Nesting Boxes" will see you getting more eggs each day than you possibly eat and return the Chicken laying to a more regular routine.
The Best Chicken Nesting Boxes
The best Chicken Nesting Boxes will all have one thing in common. They will all be best suited to the site and for the purpose that you wish to use them. The problem arises when we say "Chicken Nesting Boxes" when what we really mean is "Chicken Laying Boxes". The two seem to be quite interchangeable but there is a distinct difference between the two and we may be looking at very different designs and siting depend on what we have in mind.
Here we will examine the differences and see which is the best for each.
Urban Compost Tumblers
On a side note, it is important that we can compost our chicken waste easily. You want to be able to quickly add the good manure produced on to the garden. To that end it is advised that the urban compost tumbler be used. Urban compost tumblers are fantastic at making compost very quickly. For some great compost tumbler reviews see this resource for information on the best composters available. Compost tumblers are simply fantastic machines for making compost in a few short weeks.
Urban compost tumblers can easily take a large amount of chicken waste, including droppings as well as straw and sawdust.
The Best Chicken Nesting Boxes
By nesting Boxes we really are talking about a Nesting box for Chickens. This is an area where the Chicken can safely and securely sit on her clutch of eggs until they hatch. This will mean that the Chicken nest box will be well away from the other birds and will be relatively dark. Chicken like peace and quiet when they are nesting and will not wish to be to disturbed by other Chickens. The best Poultry Nesting Boxes will therefore be the ones most suitable for this purpose. This means that it will be spacious enough for the Chicken to easily sit on the Eggs without being to cramped. Poultry nest boxes should not be too high off the floor, they should be sited fairly low so that it is not difficult for the nesting Chicken to leave the nesting box if it wishes.
Nesting Chickens will spend an awful lot of time sitting on the eggs so it needs to be quick and easy for the Chicken to make a quick dash for a little water and food and all the other business that a preoccupied Chicken needs to attend to quickly.
Nest boxes for broody Chickens should be somewhere that is not too bright. You want to keep the mood relaxed and quiet. Not allowing to much light in will make the broody Chicken more comfortable and happy to bring its eggs to fruition. Ensure that the area is not draughty and that it is of a good even temperature. You want to give every incentive for the Chicken nesting box to be seen as a comfortable place to be.
You should also ensure that the hen laying boxes have a good quality bedding. There are any number of things that can be used for good bedding. Sawdust, ripped up paper, straw, grass, the list could go on. You just need to ensure that the bedding is sufficient and that it is comfortable for the Chicken. Hen laying boxes do not need as much consideration as nesting boxes for Chickens. They will only be there for a short while where as nesting boxes for Chicken are much more permanent and should be of a good quality design.
Chicken Laying Boxes
A laying box for a Chicken can be much simpler than a Chickens nesting box but it still needs a little consideration. although Chickens are surprisingly unfussy when it comes to what they will lay their eggs in it should still be fit for the purpose. The best Chicken laying boxes will have a few things in common. Laying boxes for Hens come in a myriad of shapes and designs. From a simple washing up bowl, which by the way makes an excellent and cheap Hen laying box, to the more expensive and altogether space age eglu laying box.
What you do need to bear in mind is that they should all be easy to clean. If you feel the best laying box for a Chicken is to be permanently fixed to the wall or floor then you need to ensure it is of a material that can easily be cleaned.
You should also ensure that there is sufficient room for the laying Chicken to get easy access to the Hen laying box. No obstructions in front of the laying box. The bedding can, as for Chicken nesting boxes be of any suitably soft material. Sawdust is my preference as it is cheap, comfortable for a laying Chicken and is a great addition to the compost heap.
The best Laying boxes, in my opinion are made of plastic or metal. A plastic laying box has the advantage over Wood in that it never needs to be treated to stop rot and it is by far the easiest laying box to clean. Being able to quickly and easily clean the hen laying boxes means you will be much more inclined to do so on a regular basis and this in turn will be welcomed by the laying Chickens.
Wooden laying boxes for Chickens can be very good, but for them to last well they should be made out of marine ply if at all possible. Marine ply laying boxes for Chickens should last indefinitely and will be of very good quality. Of course, you will pay more for this priviledge.
Choosing the best Chicken laying boxes is always dependent on budget. If you have the money then you can spend it on something like the Eglu laying box, or if funds are low or you just like a more frugal approach then go for a homemade laying box for Chickens or a simple washing up bowl with the front cut out. They do work exceptionally well. Poultry nesting boxes can be as simple or detailed in construction as you wish.
The difference between Chicken nesting boxes and Chicken laying boxes, while not great is there. You just need to consider a few more things if you are going to be having a Chicken laying on eggs for any length of time. Choose the location of poultry nesting boxes a bit more carefully for nesting Chickens than for laying Hens. The siting is a little more important but as with most Chickens you will be surprised how basic the conditions can be for Hen laying boxes or nesting boxes for Chickens to be successful.
Here we will examine the differences and see which is the best for each.
Urban Compost Tumblers
On a side note, it is important that we can compost our chicken waste easily. You want to be able to quickly add the good manure produced on to the garden. To that end it is advised that the urban compost tumbler be used. Urban compost tumblers are fantastic at making compost very quickly. For some great compost tumbler reviews see this resource for information on the best composters available. Compost tumblers are simply fantastic machines for making compost in a few short weeks.
Urban compost tumblers can easily take a large amount of chicken waste, including droppings as well as straw and sawdust.
The Best Chicken Nesting Boxes
By nesting Boxes we really are talking about a Nesting box for Chickens. This is an area where the Chicken can safely and securely sit on her clutch of eggs until they hatch. This will mean that the Chicken nest box will be well away from the other birds and will be relatively dark. Chicken like peace and quiet when they are nesting and will not wish to be to disturbed by other Chickens. The best Poultry Nesting Boxes will therefore be the ones most suitable for this purpose. This means that it will be spacious enough for the Chicken to easily sit on the Eggs without being to cramped. Poultry nest boxes should not be too high off the floor, they should be sited fairly low so that it is not difficult for the nesting Chicken to leave the nesting box if it wishes.
Nesting Chickens will spend an awful lot of time sitting on the eggs so it needs to be quick and easy for the Chicken to make a quick dash for a little water and food and all the other business that a preoccupied Chicken needs to attend to quickly.
Nest boxes for broody Chickens should be somewhere that is not too bright. You want to keep the mood relaxed and quiet. Not allowing to much light in will make the broody Chicken more comfortable and happy to bring its eggs to fruition. Ensure that the area is not draughty and that it is of a good even temperature. You want to give every incentive for the Chicken nesting box to be seen as a comfortable place to be.
You should also ensure that the hen laying boxes have a good quality bedding. There are any number of things that can be used for good bedding. Sawdust, ripped up paper, straw, grass, the list could go on. You just need to ensure that the bedding is sufficient and that it is comfortable for the Chicken. Hen laying boxes do not need as much consideration as nesting boxes for Chickens. They will only be there for a short while where as nesting boxes for Chicken are much more permanent and should be of a good quality design.
Chicken Laying Boxes
A laying box for a Chicken can be much simpler than a Chickens nesting box but it still needs a little consideration. although Chickens are surprisingly unfussy when it comes to what they will lay their eggs in it should still be fit for the purpose. The best Chicken laying boxes will have a few things in common. Laying boxes for Hens come in a myriad of shapes and designs. From a simple washing up bowl, which by the way makes an excellent and cheap Hen laying box, to the more expensive and altogether space age eglu laying box.
What you do need to bear in mind is that they should all be easy to clean. If you feel the best laying box for a Chicken is to be permanently fixed to the wall or floor then you need to ensure it is of a material that can easily be cleaned.
You should also ensure that there is sufficient room for the laying Chicken to get easy access to the Hen laying box. No obstructions in front of the laying box. The bedding can, as for Chicken nesting boxes be of any suitably soft material. Sawdust is my preference as it is cheap, comfortable for a laying Chicken and is a great addition to the compost heap.
The best Laying boxes, in my opinion are made of plastic or metal. A plastic laying box has the advantage over Wood in that it never needs to be treated to stop rot and it is by far the easiest laying box to clean. Being able to quickly and easily clean the hen laying boxes means you will be much more inclined to do so on a regular basis and this in turn will be welcomed by the laying Chickens.
Wooden laying boxes for Chickens can be very good, but for them to last well they should be made out of marine ply if at all possible. Marine ply laying boxes for Chickens should last indefinitely and will be of very good quality. Of course, you will pay more for this priviledge.
Choosing the best Chicken laying boxes is always dependent on budget. If you have the money then you can spend it on something like the Eglu laying box, or if funds are low or you just like a more frugal approach then go for a homemade laying box for Chickens or a simple washing up bowl with the front cut out. They do work exceptionally well. Poultry nesting boxes can be as simple or detailed in construction as you wish.
The difference between Chicken nesting boxes and Chicken laying boxes, while not great is there. You just need to consider a few more things if you are going to be having a Chicken laying on eggs for any length of time. Choose the location of poultry nesting boxes a bit more carefully for nesting Chickens than for laying Hens. The siting is a little more important but as with most Chickens you will be surprised how basic the conditions can be for Hen laying boxes or nesting boxes for Chickens to be successful.
Chicken Nesting Boxes. Designs And Uses
When deciding on Hen laying boxes there are a few things we need to keep in mind. Chief amongst these is where it will be sited.
Here we can see a homemade Chicken laying box that is really very roomy. Note the very steeply sloped roof which will discourage the Hens from roosting on top and making a mess. Personally I find the design slightly over elaborate in that I don't believe they need to be given quite as much room to lay. How big should a Chickens nesting box be? There is no exact answer, but there certainly doesn't need to be as much head room as there is in this image. It is just down to personal choice though. If you are going to build a laying box for Hens then you can make it whatever size you wish. This laying box for Hens is large enough to accomodate a broody Hen easily and there is more than enough room for the Hen to sit on her eggs in a lot of comfort.
Here we have something a little different. A very simple, yet actually very nice looking laying box for Hens. It has a simple handle which means it can easily be moved. It would be ideal to situate under a shelf, you can then use the handle to pull it out and take the eggs.
A nice simple design that would be ideal for a Hens laying box. It may not be so good as a Chickens nesting box but in reality they are not fussy birds at all.
When choosing the correct laying box it is important to look at different designs and see which will choose the purpose the best.
You may never wish to have an actual nesting box, it may just be a laying box you are interested in. In which case the image above would be ideal.
Here we have something completely different. The Eglu laying box. Very space age indeed. There are slatted bars to allow the Chickens droppings to fall through and a small Hen laying area for the eggs. A very high tech design but would do an excellent job as a quality laying box for your Hens.
As you can see from just these few examples there are any number of different laying boxes for Hens to choose from. From high quality high-tech to simple small laying boxes.
It all needs to be considered, especially where the laying box will be sited. If you are going to purchase a nesting box then ensure it really is good for the long term, you do not want to have to buy another one any time soon.
Poultry nesting boxes come in all manner of shapes and sizes, just make sure you pick the right one for your birds and the coop in which they will be staying.
Hens have a habit of perching on anything within their Coop, and as such we need to decide exactly where the Hen laying Box will be sited. Our own Hens laying boxes are situated under a solid shelf that the Chickens all use to perch on. This means none of their droppings can fall in to the laying boxes. This is an important consideration as it will simply get the eggs dirty if we leave the laying boxes open to the Hens baing able to perch above them.
Siting The Poultry Nesting Boxes
Where you site the Hen laying boxes is really dependent on the design of the Chickens nesting boxes. If you have an open laying nest or box for the Hens then ensure that there is nowhere for them to perch above the box. It simply saves time in cleaning out the box and also keeps the eggs much cleaner.
Always keep the Hens perches well away from the nesting boxes. Even if you have a covered laying boxes for Hens you still want to keep the perches well away from the area. Why? The same reasons apply. If the Hens can perch on or above the laying box then it will get messy very quickly and you will have the extra work of cleaning the Chicken nests much more often.
Poultry nesting boxes can be very simple but you still want to minimise how dirty they get. This is just making good use of your time, nothing more. I would always advise that for open Hen laying boxes that a solid shelf is placed above them. This will keep them much freer of contamination and much easier to clean. If you buy or make a covered poultry nest box then ensure it has a very steeply sloped roof. This will discourage the Hens from perching on it and will keep it much cleaner.
Chicken Laying Boxes. Designs
There are numerous designs of laying boxes for Poultry and Hens and the choice is down to your budget, your choice of whether it will be a DIY Chicken nesting box and where you site the laying box.
Lets take a look at a few.
Here we can see a homemade Chicken laying box that is really very roomy. Note the very steeply sloped roof which will discourage the Hens from roosting on top and making a mess. Personally I find the design slightly over elaborate in that I don't believe they need to be given quite as much room to lay. How big should a Chickens nesting box be? There is no exact answer, but there certainly doesn't need to be as much head room as there is in this image. It is just down to personal choice though. If you are going to build a laying box for Hens then you can make it whatever size you wish. This laying box for Hens is large enough to accomodate a broody Hen easily and there is more than enough room for the Hen to sit on her eggs in a lot of comfort.
Here we have something a little different. A very simple, yet actually very nice looking laying box for Hens. It has a simple handle which means it can easily be moved. It would be ideal to situate under a shelf, you can then use the handle to pull it out and take the eggs.
A nice simple design that would be ideal for a Hens laying box. It may not be so good as a Chickens nesting box but in reality they are not fussy birds at all.
When choosing the correct laying box it is important to look at different designs and see which will choose the purpose the best.
You may never wish to have an actual nesting box, it may just be a laying box you are interested in. In which case the image above would be ideal.
Here we have something completely different. The Eglu laying box. Very space age indeed. There are slatted bars to allow the Chickens droppings to fall through and a small Hen laying area for the eggs. A very high tech design but would do an excellent job as a quality laying box for your Hens.As you can see from just these few examples there are any number of different laying boxes for Hens to choose from. From high quality high-tech to simple small laying boxes.
It all needs to be considered, especially where the laying box will be sited. If you are going to purchase a nesting box then ensure it really is good for the long term, you do not want to have to buy another one any time soon.
Poultry nesting boxes come in all manner of shapes and sizes, just make sure you pick the right one for your birds and the coop in which they will be staying.
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