How many nesting boxes for chickens is a short calculation: two nests for the first four hens, then one more for every four hens after that.
See the nesting box size and count guide
That is the Penn State Extension rule for small flocks. Build each nest at least 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep, mount it at least 2 feet off the ground, and put it in a darker, quieter part of the coop. Kyle's nesting box dimensions guide at Raising Chickens turns those numbers into a count table and a cut list.
4 — Nesting boxes: 2
8 — Nesting boxes: 3
12 — Nesting boxes: 4
16 — Nesting boxes: 5
20 — Nesting boxes: 6
For a flock between those numbers, round up. Say you plan on 18 hens: two boxes cover the first four, then 14 more hens is three groups of four plus two left over, so four more nests, six in total.
The eXtension poultry guidance says one nest for every five hens is enough to prevent an increase in floor eggs. By that rule 10 hens need two boxes, where Penn State's rule gives four. Other sources land in between, at one box per three to four hens or per four to five. Kyle builds to the higher count. An extra box costs a few dollars of plywood, and eXtension ties a short count to eggs on the floor.
Next step: Check the best chicken nesting boxes for size and count before you buy.
Standard laying hens — Inside size to build: 12 x 12 inches, 12 inches tall; What the sources say: Penn State sets 12 x 12 as the minimum nest.
Bantams — Inside size to build: 12 x 12 inches still works; What the sources say: A box a little smaller is fine for bantams.
Large breeds (Orpington, Cochin) — Inside size to build: 12 to 14 inches; What the sources say: Keepers call 12 x 12 x 12 and 14 x 14 x 14 the common sizes.
Height is the loosest number. Kyle picks 12 inches for standard hens and 14 inches for heavy breeds, and builds for the biggest hen in the flock instead of the average one. Two extra inches cost almost nothing when you are cutting plywood, and you cannot add them later.
Mount nests at least 2 feet off the ground and at least 4 feet away from the roosts. Penn State also says to place them in a darker, secluded area, and never across from bright sunny windows or near high-traffic areas. A second rule runs from the other direction: nests should sit lower than the lowest roosting pole, so the roost and not the box is the high spot. That fixes the order of the build. Set the roost bars first, above 2 feet, then place the boxes lower than the lowest bar and 4 feet away.
In a small coop, 4 feet of separation can be hard to find. Put the nests on the wall opposite the roosts and use the length of the coop, with a landing ledge or short ramp in front of each box. If you are still choosing a coop, remember that nest boxes cost floor space too. The walk-in coop guide shows a 10-hen layout with 5 feet of roost, about four 12 by 12 nests and 4 inches of litter.
Yes, if the inside meets the 12 by 12 inch minimum. Keepers name grass catchers, old tree pots, cat carriers, milk crates and plastic bins as popular stand-ins. Measure the inside before you mount it, since a bin that comes up short on depth fails the same rule a built box does. Add a lip taller than 2 inches so it holds the bedding.
eXtension says to keep 2 inches of clean, dry nesting material in the nests at all times as egg padding, and Penn State says to collect eggs two times daily. A front lip taller than 2 inches keeps the bedding in. Pine shavings are the usual choice, and the coop bedding guide covers shavings, chopped straw and sand for the floor.
If you would rather buy, check the inside size before you pay. Ready-made boxes list their outside size, and some seller pages leave the inside space blank. The best chicken nesting boxes guide ranks six boxes on the extension rules and flags every box where the inside size is missing. The best nesting box for most flocks is a roll-out with at least 12 by 12 inches inside. The lowest-price metal roll-out in that roundup, an EggHouse galvanized box for up to 10 birds at $29.99 on 2026-10-09, has a 20 by 11 inch footprint that cannot hold a 12 by 12 nest floor, and a single bay is short of the four nests Penn State asks for at 10 hens. Roll-away boxes also help with egg eaters, since the egg rolls out of reach.
A three-nest unit with 12 by 12 by 12 inch openings fits in one 4 by 8 foot sheet of plywood with room to spare. With 3/4 inch plywood the width is 3 openings times 12 inches plus four panel thicknesses, so 39 inches. The finished unit measures 39 inches wide, 13.5 inches tall and 12.75 inches deep. Glue every joint, drill a pilot hole for every screw and countersink the heads, since plywood splits when a screw runs close to an edge. Open the back of the unit to the outside with a hinged lid if you can, so egg collection does not mean walking through the coop. The full cut list is in the nesting box dimensions guide.
Count: 2 nests for the first four hens, then 1 more per four hens.
Inside size: at least 12 by 12 inches.
Height: at least 2 feet off the ground, at least 4 feet from the roosts, lower than the lowest roost.
Location: darker and secluded, away from bright windows and foot traffic.
Lip: taller than 2 inches to hold the bedding.
If you are planning the whole setup, the coop gear hub has the rest of the nesting and bedding guides, and the coop kits guide is where to compare kits against the nest count above.
Penn State's rule gives two for the first four hens plus one for the next four, so 3 boxes for 6 hens. The looser eXtension rule of one per five hens gives 2.
Penn State's rule gives 4. The eXtension one-per-five rule gives 2. Kyle builds to the higher count.
At least 12 by 12 inches inside. Use 14 inches for heavy breeds such as Orpingtons and Cochins.
At least 2 feet, at least 4 feet from the roosts, and lower than the lowest roosting pole.
Too few boxes is one cause eXtension names. Check the count against the table, keep boxes darker and secluded, and pick up floor eggs right away.
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This page is an independent guide that links to Raising Chickens, a backyard chicken gear site run by Kyle. Prices and specs change, so check the linked pages before you buy.