Walk into many deep litter layer houses in Kenya at nine in the morning and you will find the same thing: a row of nest boxes with three hens squeezed into one, two boxes sitting empty, and a scatter of eggs on the floor under the feeders. Some of those floor eggs are cracked, some are smeared with wet litter, and one or two have already been pecked open. Every one of them is money the flock produced and the farm did not collect.
Floor eggs and dirty eggs are rarely a problem with the hens. They are almost always a problem with the nests: too few of them, in the wrong place, too bright, too high, too low or simply put in too late. The short rains make it worse, because damp litter turns every floor egg into a dirty egg, and dirty eggs fetch less, keep worse and cannot be sold to a fussy buyer at all.
This guide answers the questions farmers ask us most often about laying nests: how many you need for your flock, what size and height they should be, where to put them, what to line them with, when to put them in, and how to get pullets to use them from the first egg. For the wider choice between systems, see our guide to layer cages versus deep litter; this article is for farmers who keep layers or kienyeji hens on the floor.
How Many Nest Boxes Do You Need?
The rule of thumb used widely in poultry extension material is one nest hole for every four to five hens. Hens do not all lay at the same moment, but they do lay in a cluster, mostly in the morning, so the nests need to cope with the busy hour rather than the daily average. Too few nests and hens queue, fight, crowd into one box and break eggs, or give up and lay on the floor.
Work it out for your flock size and round up, never down. A flock of 100 layers needs 20 to 25 nest holes. A flock of 300 needs 60 to 75. For a small kienyeji flock of 20 hens, four or five nests is about right, with one spare so that a broody hen sitting on eggs does not take the only nest the others like.
Do not go too far the other way. A house with a nest for every hen gives birds space to sleep in the nests at night, and hens that roost in nests foul them with droppings, which brings you straight back to dirty eggs. Enough nests for the morning rush, closed or made uncomfortable for roosting at night, is the balance to aim for.
Size, Height and Shape That Hens Accept
A hen looks for a nest that feels hidden, snug and safe. For a typical commercial layer or improved kienyeji hen, a nest hole of roughly 30 centimetres wide, 30 to 35 centimetres high and 30 to 35 centimetres deep is a common guideline. Larger breeds need a little more room; very small bantams need less. A nest so big that two hens fit comfortably is a nest that two hens will share, and sharing is where eggs get broken.
Fit a lip of about 10 centimetres across the front of each hole to hold the nest material and the eggs in. Without it, hens scratch the lining out onto the floor within days and eggs roll out after it.
Height above the floor. Mount the lowest row of nests about 45 to 60 centimetres above the litter, with a perch or landing rail along the front so hens can step up and walk along to a free box. Nests on the floor get filled with litter and scratched apart; nests high up near the roof are hot and hens may not bother climbing. Two tiers of nests are common in bigger houses; three tiers is about the limit before the top row is too hot and hard to reach for collection.
A sloping roof. Put a sloping top on the nest block so birds cannot perch and roost on it. A flat top over the nests becomes a favourite roosting spot and the droppings fall onto the landing rail and into the boxes.
Where to Put the Nests in the House
Hens prefer to lay in the dimmest, quietest part of the house. Put the nests in a darker corner or along the wall away from the open side, out of direct sunlight and away from the door where people walk in and out. If the house has bright curtains on one side and a solid wall on the other, the nests go on the solid wall.
Keep the nests away from the feeders and drinkers. A nest next to a busy feeder line gets disturbed all morning, and a nest next to a leaking drinker gets wet lining, which is the start of dirty and cracked eggs. During the rains, check that the nest wall does not take driven rain through the mesh or under the eaves; a wet nest is worse than no nest at all. Our guide to managing wet litter in the rains covers keeping the whole house dry.
Spread the nests along the house rather than putting them all in one block at the far end. In a long house, hens at the other end will not walk the whole length to lay; they will lay where they stand.
Lining the Nests: What to Use and How Often
The lining cushions the egg as it drops, keeps it off the hard floor of the box and absorbs any dirt from the hen's feet. Clean, dry wood shavings are the most common choice in Kenya. Dry chopped grass, rice husks or clean straw also work. Avoid sawdust that is very fine and dusty, and anything that has been sprayed with chemicals.
Keep the lining about 5 centimetres deep and top it up whenever it gets thin. Change it completely as soon as it is soiled or damp, and in any case every few weeks. A broken egg in a nest must be cleaned out the same day: the smell teaches hens that eggs are food, and egg eating spreads through a flock quickly. Our guide to feather pecking and cannibalism explains why that habit is so hard to stop once it starts.
Plastic nest pads or roll-away floors, where the egg rolls down a gentle slope to a collection tray out of the hen's reach, keep eggs cleaner and stop egg eating, but they cost more and some hens take time to accept them. Most smallholder flocks do well with simple wooden or metal boxes and good lining.
Timing: Put the Nests in Before the First Egg
Most layer strains start laying somewhere around 18 to 20 weeks of age, depending on breed, feeding and lighting. A pullet lays her first eggs wherever she happens to be, and once she has learned to lay on the floor in a quiet corner, she may keep doing it. The nests must already be in place, lined and familiar, a couple of weeks before the first egg is expected.
Practical steps that help pullets choose the nests from day one:
- Open the nests during the day from about 16 to 17 weeks so the birds explore them.
- Place a few dummy eggs, or clean old eggs marked with a pen, in the nests. Hens are drawn to lay where eggs already are.
- Walk the house several times in the first weeks of lay, pick up any floor egg straight away, and gently place any hen found laying in a corner into a nest.
- Block off or brighten the corners where floor eggs keep appearing, and make sure there are no dark gaps under feeders or behind sacks.
- Close the nests or flip down a cover in the evening if hens begin sleeping in them, and open them again before laying starts in the morning.
Lighting also affects where and when hens lay. A steady day length and a lighting programme that suits the flock help keep laying regular; see our guide to the poultry lighting programme for the details.
Collecting Eggs: How Often and How
Collect at least twice a day, and three times when it is hot or when the flock is at peak lay. Every hour an egg sits in a nest is another hour for a hen to step on it, for another hen to sit on top of it, and for dirt from feet to be pressed onto the shell. Frequent collection also stops broody hens building up a clutch.
Collect into clean plastic or paper egg trays, not into a bucket where eggs knock together. Keep dirty eggs separate from clean ones. A lightly soiled egg can be dry cleaned with a fine abrasive pad; washing eggs in dirty or cold water can draw bacteria through the shell, so if you must wash, follow your buyer's or your county extension officer's guidance. Our guide to egg handling and storage covers cooling, storing and grading after collection.
Troubleshooting Floor Eggs and Dirty Eggs
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Many floor eggs in one corner | Corner is darker or quieter than the nests | Light or block the corner; move a few nests nearer |
| Hens crowding one box | Too few nests, or one box more sheltered | Add nests; make all boxes equally dim |
| Droppings in nests | Hens roosting in nests at night | Close nests at dusk; add or raise perches |
| Dirty, muddy shells | Wet litter, wet lining, infrequent collection | Fix leaks, change lining, collect more often |
| Cracked and eaten eggs | Thin lining, overcrowding, egg eating habit | Deepen lining, add nests, clean broken eggs at once |
| Lining scratched out | No front lip on the box | Fit a 10 cm lip across each hole |
If eggs are thin shelled or misshapen as well as dirty, the problem may be feed, age or health rather than nests. Talk to your vet or a poultry nutritionist before changing the ration or giving any supplement.
Nest Boxes and Related Equipment, With Prices
These prices are from the Fuga price list at the time of writing; check the site or call a branch for current prices and stock.
| Item | Stock code | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Laying box | 6533 | KSh 1,500 |
| TRAY 30 EGGS VIRGIN MATERIAL | 6415 | KSh 65 |
| PAPER EGG TRAY | 6774 | KSh 15 |
| CHICKEN WIRE 1*3FT | 6625 | KSh 900 |
| THERMOHYGROMETER | 6412 | KSh 200 |
Count your hens, divide by four or five, round up and add one. Put the nests in the dim side of the house before the pullets start laying, keep the lining clean and dry through the rains, and collect often. For ready made nests see our laying nest, or browse the full poultry equipment range and WhatsApp 0716 961 018 with your flock size for advice.
Key Takeaways
- Fit one nest hole for every four to five hens, round up and add one or two spare.
- A nest of roughly 30 cm wide, 30 to 35 cm high and deep, with a 10 cm front lip, suits most layers and improved kienyeji hens.
- Mount nests 45 to 60 cm above the litter with a landing rail, in the dimmest, quietest part of the house, with a sloping top.
- Keep about 5 cm of clean, dry lining and change it whenever it is soiled or damp, especially in the rains.
- Have nests fitted and open a couple of weeks before the first egg, use dummy eggs and pick up floor eggs at once.
- Collect at least twice a day, three times at peak lay or in hot weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nest boxes do I need for 100 layers?
The common rule is one nest hole for every four to five hens, so 100 layers need about 20 to 25 nest holes. Round up and add one or two spare so a broody hen does not take a nest the others need.
Why are my hens laying eggs on the floor?
Usually because there are too few nests, the nests are too bright, too high or too low, or they were put in after the pullets had already started laying elsewhere. Make the nests the dimmest, quietest spot in the house, put dummy eggs in them, and block or brighten the corners where floor eggs appear.
What is the best material for lining nest boxes?
Clean, dry wood shavings are the most common choice in Kenya. Dry chopped grass, rice husks or clean straw also work. Keep the lining about 5 cm deep and change it as soon as it is soiled or damp.
How high should nest boxes be from the floor?
Mount the lowest row about 45 to 60 cm above the litter with a perch or landing rail in front. Nests on the floor fill with litter, and nests high under the roof are hot and less used.
When should I put nest boxes in for pullets?
Have them fitted, lined and open during the day a couple of weeks before the first egg is expected. Most layer strains start laying somewhere around 18 to 20 weeks, so many farmers fit nests by about 16 weeks.
