Will chickens lay eggs without nesting box? It is a very common question beginning chicken keepers ask a lot. Actually you need to have a clear idea about this before you start to keep chickens.
Chickens have been producing delicious and nutritious eggs for us since a long time ago. On an average, a healthy laying hen can produce about 200 to 300 eggs every year.
Modern hens are highly productive and they can produce well throughout the year round. And these hens are very good for commercial chicken arming business.
Will Chickens Lay Eggs Without Nesting Box?
It is a common question to the people who raise some chickens on their own backyard, will chickens lay eggs without nesting box? Egg laying of chickens depend on some factors which we have described here.
Laying Eggs
Hens are biologically designed for laying eggs. All healthy hens lay eggs as long as they can find enough food.
Even the hen who escape from the coop and receive no human care or who are left loose to fend for themselves can also lay eggs if they find enough food.
For producing eggs, a healthy hen doesn’t need a nesting box, coop, a rooster or anything else.
Necessity of A Chicken Coop
Chicken coops are not necessary to the hens for laying eggs. But it doesn’t mean your hens don’t require any coop. Coop is necessary for providing required shelter for your hens.
Chicken coop is also necessary to keep all your chickens together in one place so that you can provide them sufficient amount of fresh food and water.
Hens become healthier if they get sufficient amount of food, water, shelter and care. And healthy hens lay more eggs than an unhealthy one. So, your chickens need a coop for good health and better production.
Why Hens Need a Nesting Box?
A nesting box help to provide your hens a safe, individual location for laying eggs. It also give privacy to your shy hens. Nest boxes also help to keep your hens from trying to lay eggs in secluded corners of the chicken coop or outdoors.
Providing some nesting boxes to your hens, help to prevent hens from trampling or otherwise damaging their eggs. Laying hens often tramp or damage their eggs if the eggs are not in a well cushioned and safe place.
So, nest boxes are necessary for the chickens but not a must for them for laying eggs.
Why Hens Don’t Lay Eggs?
There are various reasons of why a hen doesn’t lay eggs. A hen might not lay eggs if she is gone broody, not getting enough nutritious food, too sick or too old to lay.
Broody hens don’t lay eggs. They sit on their existing eggs and wait for those eggs to hatch. There is an another possibility of why you are not finding the eggs but your hens are laying.
Especially this happen if you raise free range chickens. Hens often make a nest in your yard and hide their eggs. Sometimes they can also eat their eggs.
I think you have got a clear idea about will chickens lay eggs without nesting box or not. Hens can lay eggs in all condition if they find enough fresh food and water.
They only need a nesting box for laying eggs on a calm and secure place. You can collect eggs easily if you keep some nesting boxes inside your chicken coop.
