A place to nest While hens can and do lay their eggs anywhere that feels safe, it’s not always convenient to go hunting through the garden for them. Your flock will instinctively use nesting boxes if you make them according to some basic requirements: • The nesting boxes need to be comfortable and fairly dark to ensure seclusion from the rest of the hen house. Egg-laying is a private business. • Nesting material should be dry, light and loose (straw and wood shavings are ideal) and should be at least 100mm (4 inches) deep. Shallow nests cause fighting and encourage feather pecking and cannibalism. • The amount of nesting space per flock is again dependent on your flock size. As a rule, 3 laying birds require approximately 1/2 square metre (5sq.ft) of nesting space. Hens can be trained not to sleep in the nests by providing perches and closing off nesting boxes in the evening. This will also help to stop your birds becoming broody. You can reopen the nesting boxes once the chickens are asleep, and after a week or two they’ll have formed a roosting habit, which means you’ll spend a lot less time cleaning manure out of the nests. THE CHOOK BOOK | 27