Nests and perches for laying hens: their dimensions and how to make them correctly

To properly organize the space inside the chicken coop, you need to properly equip perches and nests. The perch is a crossbar made of a bar or a round blank on which the chicken sleeps. You can use different options for devices for perches.

Nesting options

Depending on the size of the coop and the number of birds make different types of perches:

• It can be a crossbar around the perimeter indoors. This option is suitable for a small barn with a small number of chickens. The perch is fixed at a certain distance from the wall for the unimpeded location of birds for the night.
• The crossbars can be fixed at different levels to accommodate a large number of birds in a small area. The distance between the perches is made at least 30 cm. In this case, the chickens will not stain each other with droppings.
• In a small farm, perches are built on vertical supports, which are pillars about a meter high. Crossbars are attached to them.
• Perches can be made in the form of portable structures. This allows not only to move them inside the chicken coop, but also more convenient to clean indoors.
• With a small number of chickens, you can make a box with a handle. She will serve as a perch. And in the box, install a grid for sifting litter into a container. If necessary, this box is taken out and cleaned.
• If the farm is larger, then perches can be made in the form of a table with crossbars. In this case, bars are vertically attached to the manufactured table, to which crossbars are attached to the screws. Pallets are placed on the surface of the table to collect litter.

How to make a perch

To make a perch need to know some parametersto comfortably accommodate the chickens:

• What should be the length of the crossbar for one bird.
• At what height to place the perch.
• Crossbar size.
• When equipping a multi-tiered structure – the distance between the levels.

Recommended Perch Sizes

• Perches for laying hens: the length of the crossbar for one bird is 20 cm, the height is 90 cm, the cross section of the crossbar is 4 by 6 cm, the distance between the levels is 30 cm.
• Meat-and-egg chickens: the length of the crossbar for one chicken is 30 cm, the height of the perch is 60 cm, the cross section of the crossbar is 5 by 7 cm, the distance between the bars is 40 cm.
• For young animals: the length of the crossbar for one individual is 15 cm, the height from the floor is 30 cm, the cross section of the perch is 4 by 5 cm, the distance between the bars is 20 cm.

It is better to place the perch near a warm wall, opposite a window where there are no drafts. The order of work for the construction of perches should be as follows:

• At a certain height from the floor, depending on the breed of chickens, a beam with a section of 6 by 6 cm is nailed horizontally to the walls.
• The crossbars of the required diameter are hewn and processed from notches.
• Then, with the help of self-tapping screws, they are attached to the beam, at the recommended distance.
• Stepping back 30 cm from the floor, horizontal strips are stuffed. They have litter trays.
• To make it easier for chickens to climb a perch, you can make a ladder. It is better to install it as far as possible.

When the horizontal beam is located at an angle, a multi-tiered structure is made. In the same way, perches are built in the center or corner of the chicken coop.

Nests for chickens

In order for birds to lay their eggs in a certain place, it is necessary to make nests. For this you can use ready-made containers. It is enough to cover them with hay or sawdust and the nest will be ready.

For containers, you can use cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic boxes, wicker baskets. Before using such a container, you need to check it for integrity. Do not allow nails to stick out or sharp splinters. They can hurt the chicken or damage the egg.

When using ready-made containers, it is necessary to adhere to certain sizes of future nests. For breeds of chickens of medium size containers must be 30 cm high and the same width and length. Nests are placed in a dark and quiet corner of the house. This is necessary so that the chickens are calm. The nests are located on an elevation from the floor so that there are no drafts. They make a ladder to them, and in front of the entrance there is a perch, on which the chicken can rest and get inside without difficulty.

Making nests for chickens from OSB board

Make a chicken nest you can use your own hands… For this you will need:

• OSB board (oriented strand board), the thickness of which is 8-10 mm.
• Screwdriver.
• An electric jigsaw and a saw for wood.
• Screws.
• Wooden blocks with a side of 25 mm.

Order of work

• First of all, you need to cut the sides of the nests of a rectangular shape 15 by 40 cm with an electric jigsaw from the OSB plate. 4 rectangles are needed for each nest. You need to cut them so that the edges do not break. To do this, you need to increase the speed on the tool, and move slowly along the canvas.
• Then cut wooden blocks 15 cm long (this is the height of the nest). Having installed them at the corners of the box, screw the cut rectangular plates to them with self-tapping screws.
• The bottom is also cut out of OSB with a square with a side of 40 cm. Screw this sheet to the corners of the box.
• Having made a nest, it is necessary to fill it with hay, straw or sawdust to 1/3 of the volume. Ready-made nests are mounted on walls or installed on special scaffolds.

Laying hen nest

Nests for chickens do it with an egg tray – This is a good option for those who do not have time to regularly check the boxes for the contents of the eggs. To make such a nest, you need a little time and the necessary material. The peculiarity of this design is that the bottom has a slight slope. On it, the eggs roll into the substituted tray.

How to make a nest for a laying hen

• First you need to make a regular box.
• Install the bottom with a slope at an angle of 10 degrees.
• Make a hole at the bottom of the slope and attach the tray using a plastic container.
• It is not necessary to put a lot of bedding in such a nest, since the eggs should roll freely. And you need to put sawdust in the tray to soften the fall of the eggs.

Having correctly built nests for chickens, you can significantly increase their egg production. If it is not possible to do this work yourself, then such a design can be ordered to a carpenter, given the dimensions of the chicken coop. To do this, you need to provide the master with a drawing of nests and indicate the dimensions.