Chicken Nesting Boxes and Egg Supplies
Keeping chickens is becoming a popular hobby. Many people keep chickens so they can enjoy delicious, farm-fresh eggs—and in order to encourage laying, you’ll need chicken nesting supplies that help keep your hens comfortable.
If you’re thinking about keeping chickens, read our article Keeping Chickens 101 to learn more about how to choose your chickens and what to expect when it comes to egg laying. When you’re ready to set up your chicken coop, our Chicken Care Sheet can help. In addition to chicken and poultry feed and supplies, you’ll need chicken nesting supplies.
Chickens begin laying eggs around six months old, depending on their breed and the time of year, and will lay about five eggs per week. Collecting the eggs every day will encourage them to lay more. During egg laying, they need chicken nesting boxes, which are small, mostly enclosed boxes where they feel protected. They’re usually placed at the back or top of the coop. To keep your hens extra cozy, you can add heated chicken nest pads.
Plan to collect the eggs? Egg baskets make collecting simple. Open, wire designs allow dirt and debris to fall out and let you wash and dry the eggs more easily. If you want to let the chicks hatch instead, consider additional chicken nesting supplies, like an incubator. Placing the eggs in an incubator encourages the hen to continue laying eggs, while you hatch and raise the chicks yourself—learn how in our Chick Care Sheet.
Raising chickens is fun and rewarding, and with the right set of supplies, chicken nesting boxes and egg baskets, you can be enjoying fresh eggs in no time.