We make nests for laying hens with our own hands

The egg is an invaluable gift of nature. The chicken is ready to give it to a kind owner, and he is ready to accept it, but where? Having equipped nests for laying hens with their own hands with skill, the bird will master them with pleasure. Let's see how to do it right.

How to make a nest for a laying hen with your own hands

A nest is not just a place where a chicken lays its eggs, it is a kind of future incubator. The hen lays eggs not for the purpose of scrambled eggs for the owner, but for the purpose of breeding offspring. The bird must feel there:

• safety for future chicks;
• seclusion;
• silence
• dryness;
• purity.

However, the poultry farmer equips the nest in order to obtain a marketable egg. Therefore, to all the above points, you need to add convenience for collecting eggs. Of course, if you foresee and make sure that the eggs roll, then the collection of eggs could turn into a pleasure. If there are not many chickens, it will not be difficult to select eggs manually, and if there are many, you need to think about it in advance.

Place for a nest

Under the condition of floor content, nests are equipped under the walls. They can be:

• floor;
• hanging;
• multi-storey;
• single;
• paired.

Experienced poultry farmers, equipping nests for laying hens in new poultry houses, do not make many of them at once. Having made a few and installed them, they observe exactly how the chickens behave. Further, nests are gradually added in those places that the bird has chosen.

It makes no sense to follow a clear geometry and "draw" everything as in the pictures, the birds have their own views on harmony in nature (most likely they do not coincide with the views of man). Sometimes a spacious and beautiful nest remains empty, and the hens climb on top of each other and lay their eggs in a small and not very convenient one.

Where you can't nest

Nests should not be installed:

• at the front door;
• near the window;
• at the exit for walking;
• "facing" to the front door or window;
• against a wall behind which it is noisy (for example, a workshop with electrical appliances).

If there is no other option, and it turns out only the way it is not necessary, then you should take care of a kind of “curtain”, which will ensure the privacy of the space during the egg laying. Soundproofing should also be provided.

What to make a nest

Homemade nests can be made from any material at hand. In the course can go:

• boards;
• plywood;
• wooden boxes;
• plastic boxes;
• old baskets.

Making nests should begin with measurements. If you are limited in space, then you should consider how many chickens should fit in the nest. Sometimes a small nest attracts a few hens, while the large one remains empty. The best option would be for one or two chickens. Don't make the nest too small, the hens will fight over it and pound the eggs. If the nest is extensive, then it is good for one chicken and two.

Socket size

The table will help you navigate the measurements, but each individually decides that question.

If you plan to make nests from plastic boxes, then the choice is not great. In this case, we have what we have. It is better to make the nest larger than necessary, and not smaller. Close will not be comfortable, and the bird will try in every possible way to "dodge" from the right place.

Craftsmen manage to knock together a frame from boards, and upholster the sides with improvised materials. As such, they use:

• plywood;
• thick cardboard;
• thick film.

This option is quite acceptable, but the top of the nest should be made tight. It must be foreseen that not all chickens will want to sleep on perches , some will choose the roof from the nest. In this case, it is covered with a non-wetting material that will prevent the structure from rotting. It is used as such:

• old linoleum;
• dense oilcloth or film.

Nest bottom

You can equip a nest without a floor. The floor will be that on which the nest is placed. Such a nest will be light and mobile. However, in this case, you need to think about how the eggs do not roll out of the nest.

You can arrange nests in the chicken coop in one tier and install directly on the floor. However, this is not very convenient:

1. In order to see the presence of eggs, you need to bend over;
2. To collect eggs, you also need to bend over;
3. For cleaning and changing the flooring, you also need to bend over.

If there are few nests, it is possible, but if there are many, then it is better to solve the problem in a different way.

Nest with egg box

Such nests can be arranged both in cages and in a chicken coop.

To collect eggs, you can build nests:

• with slope and open ovipositor at the end outside the nest;
• with a slope and a closed egg collector at the end within the nest.

For cellular variants of nests, a slope is installed on the bottom, and after being laid, the egg rolls out beyond the nest line. In this case, there is no need to cover the egg.

If nests with an egg collector are installed directly in chicken coops, then the slope also ensures that the egg rolls out, but the egg collector is covered with plywood. This makes the eggs unavailable for pecking.

As a rule, egg collectors are made to facilitate the work of the poultry farmer. If there are not many chickens, then there is no special need for them. Some are sure that the egg collector is needed so that the hens do not peck at the eggs. This is wrong. A healthy bird whose diet is balanced in nutrients will not peck eggs. If pecking occurs, attention should be paid to feeding.

We recommend a useful article about molting in laying hens .

The nest must not be empty. At the bottom you need to lay:

• hay;
• straw;
• sawdust.

The nest should not contain protruding nails and uneven, piercing objects.

Building a nest

To build a nest for chickens, you do not need a blueprint at all. It is enough to carry out the following actions:

1. A frame is prepared from a thin bar according to the measurements given in the table;
2. The frame is upholstered with boards or plywood;
3. The nest is equipped with a threshold at least 5 cm high (it will not allow the eggs to roll out and the flooring to crumble). If the nest is with a slope and an egg collector, then the threshold is not equipped;
4. If nests are installed on several floors, ladders with a platform are needed. The platform should be stable and accommodate 3-4 hens. Stairs don't have to be very steep. A chicken is a bird, but it doesn't fly well. Falling from a height, it will choke the eggs, which will lead to yolk peritonitis or other injuries;

Photo: several options for nests for laying hens

Nest from improvised materials

Sometimes poultry farmers arrange nests from old, used ones:

• plastic and metal buckets;
• pots;
• canisters;
• wide pipes.

All this is suitable for making a nest. However, care should be taken to ensure that the materials are environmentally friendly, do not carry toxic products. It makes no sense to spend very expensive materials on nests. As a result, it may turn out that it takes a year to collect eggs and sell them in order to pay off the nests.

Properly made and installed nests, the chicken will quickly take a fancy. If the bird refuses to rush in the nest, it makes no sense to force it, it’s better to think, feel what is wrong and redo it. The bird will thank good egg production .