Nesting Boxes: How Many, What Size and Where to Put Them
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You find out your nest boxes are wrong in small ways. An egg turns up in the dust bath. A hen sleeps in a box and leaves a pile of droppings on tomorrow’s eggs. Or you open the lid and find a cracked shell and a guilty looking hen with yolk on her beak.
Our top picks
Paid links. We earn from qualifying Amazon purchases. We chose these from specs and owner feedback, not our own testing. Photos show the type of gear, not the exact product.
Best for adding several nests at onceHOLOLIJO Chicken Nesting Boxes with Roll Out Egg Collection (10 pack)Plastic boxes that mount on a wall.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: mazaletel, CC BY 2.0- Best for a larger flockBrower Galvanized Steel 4 Hole Nesting BoxA classic steel bank of 4 nests with fold up perches.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: mazaletel, CC BY 2.0
- Best for egg eating or dirty egg problemsFilterhualv Roll Away Nest Box with 2 HolesA sloped floor rolls each egg into a covered tray.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: mazaletel, CC BY 2.0
The fix is usually simple. Nest boxes have a handful of rules. Get them right and you pick up clean eggs from the same spot every day.
In this guide
How many boxes you need
Utah State University Extension says one nest box for every four to five hens. So 8 hens need 2 boxes. 12 hens need 3.
Don’t be surprised when they all queue for the same one. Hens like to lay where another hen has laid. You’ll often see two of them squeezed into one box while the others sit empty. That’s normal. Still give them at least 2 boxes even for 3 hens. It cuts down on squabbles and floor eggs.
What size to make them
Utah State gives these numbers for standard hens.
- Height and width: 12 to 15 inches
- Depth: at least 12 inches
- Front lip: 4 to 6 inches high to hold the bedding and eggs in
For bantams you can go a little smaller. For big breeds like Brahmas or Jersey Giants go to the top of the range. A hen wants to turn around once and settle. She doesn’t want room to throw a party.
How high to put them
Utah State suggests at least 18 inches above the floor. Add a perch 6 to 8 inches out from the front so hens can hop up and step in.
Now the part people miss. Keep the boxes lower than your roost bars. Hens like to sleep on the highest spot in the coop. Put the nests higher than the roost and they will sleep in the nests. Then they’ll poop in them all night.
Where in the coop
Hens want a nest that feels hidden. Pick the darkest and quietest wall. Keep it away from the pop door and out of the main traffic. Don’t put boxes under the roost or droppings will rain on them.
If you can, set the boxes so you can reach them from outside. A hinged lid on the back of the coop means you collect eggs without walking in. Your shoes stay clean and the hens stay calm.
What to line them with
Utah State recommends at least 2 to 3 inches of clean dry shavings in each box. That cushions the eggs and keeps them cleaner. Pine shavings are cheap and easy. A small bag of pine shavings goes a long way in nest boxes alone. Straw works too. Change it as soon as it’s dirty or damp.
Plastic or rubber nest pads are another option. You lift them out and hose them off. Some hens like them less than loose bedding. A handful of shavings on top helps.
The three main types
Wooden boxes. Most coops come with these or you build your own. They are cheap and hens like them. Wood is harder to clean and mites like the cracks.
Plastic or metal wall boxes. These hang on a wall and wipe clean. They’re good for adding nests to a coop that doesn’t have enough.
HOLOLIJO Chicken Nesting Boxes with Roll Out Egg Collection (10 pack)
Plastic boxes that mount on a wall. Eggs roll out of reach for easy collection. They wash clean in a few minutes.
What to like
- Easy to wash
- Lots of nests in one box
- Simple to mount
Watch out for
- Plastic feels light
- Check the size suits large breeds
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Metal banks. A row of nests in one galvanized unit. Common in bigger flocks and very long lasting.
Brower Galvanized Steel 4 Hole Nesting Box
A classic steel bank of 4 nests with fold up perches. The maker says it serves up to 20 hens. Steel won't rot and gives mites little to hide in.
What to like
- Lasts for years
- Fold up perches block nests at night
- Enough nests for a big flock
Watch out for
- Heavy to hang
- Not a rollaway so eggs stay in the nest
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Fixing common nest box problems
Eggs on the floor. Young pullets often miss the box at first. Put a golf ball or a fake egg in each nest. It shows them where eggs go. Keep the boxes dark and the bedding fresh. Most pullets figure it out within a couple of weeks.
Hens sleeping in the boxes. Make sure the roost is higher than the nests. If that doesn’t work, block the boxes after dark for a week. Open them again first thing in the morning.
Broken or dirty eggs. Add more bedding. Collect eggs at least once a day and twice in hot weather. Thin shells can mean the hens need more calcium. Put out a dish of oyster shell on the side.
Egg eating. This habit spreads fast once one hen learns it. Collect eggs often and fix thin shells first. If it keeps going, a rollaway box is the most reliable fix. The egg rolls into a covered tray where no one can peck it.
Filterhualv Roll Away Nest Box with 2 Holes
A sloped floor rolls each egg into a covered tray. Hens can't peck it or step on it. It also has a perch bar on the front.
What to like
- Stops most egg eating
- Cleaner eggs
- Collect eggs from the tray
Watch out for
- Some hens take a while to use it
- Costs more than a plain box
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A broody hen. If one hen sits in a box all day and puffs up when you come near, she’s broody. She’ll hog a nest for weeks. Lift her out a few times a day or give her a box of her own. If you have no rooster, her eggs won’t hatch however long she sits.
A quick nest box checklist
- One box for every four or five hens and never fewer than two
- About 12 inches square inside
- At least 18 inches off the floor and lower than the roost
- A dark quiet spot away from the door
- 2 to 3 inches of clean dry shavings
- Eggs collected every day
Get these right and the box does its job. You get clean eggs in one place and fewer surprises in the dust bath.
