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.