Nest box width?

[Backyard Bruce]

I making my nest boxes, and I have the choice of either having four 10 inch wide boxes or three 14 inch wide boxes there and about anyway, which way would you go

I have 7 pullets, I also have room for expansion on the other side of the coop if necessary if chicken math happens on me

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Two nests would be sufficient. I had one building with 10 hens and 4 nests. They mostly used one and occasionally 2. I think 10" is tight and 14" may be too wide. I've had as many as 3 hens laying at the same time in a 12" box. That is too tight!
If your nests are outside, I'd make 3. Even if inside, fewer will free up floor space.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd go with the wider ones if they are full sized fowl. Ten inch would probably work for bantams. How deep are they?

Mine really seem to enjoy sharing a nest. It's not unusual to see three hens crowded into my 16" x 16" x 16" high nests. At least in my nests they are not sitting on top of each other.

 

[lazy gardener]

How big is your coop? What will be the maximum number of hens you will ever have? I would absolutely NOT build 10" wide boxes. I would do (3) x 14" or even (2) x 21! General rule of thumb is 1 box per 4 hens. My hens love to crowd into a single box, and they all prefer the larger boxes.

You might also consider making your boxes movable. That way, if you have a broody hen, you can pick her box up and move hen, eggs, and nest box all to a location that would be convenient for you to allow her to brood.

An other good benefit when designing nest boxes is this: Make it easy to block them off. The ramp in front of my boxes can fold up to block off the top 3 boxes. Super helpful when breaking a broody, or when there are youngsters who want to sleep in those boxes.

 

[lazy gardener]

Per RR design, be sure to make those boxes tall enough. Hens stand up when they lay an egg.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

The coop right now is a 5x10 stand up coop Will be expanded to a 10‘ x 10‘ next spring. I Went ahead and made 14 inches wide by 12 inches tall and 12 inches deep, three boxes that size.
These boxes are exterior to the Coop
I have 4 Rhode Island red hens and 4 Polish hens
I guess my chicken math isn’t so good so far, I said I had seven pullets now I count I have 8.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can always probably get by with fewer nests than you think but I would make them taller than wide.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Yeah I can’t go any taller, framed out when I put the walls up.

 

[aart]

and I have the choice of either having four 10 inch wide boxes or three 14 inch wide boxes there and about anyway, which way would you go

3 @ 14" wide.
Mine are 14x14x16" with 10"dia entrances

These boxes are exterior to the Coop

Probably too late but, can you make the nests taller and keep the opening at 12"? Pics of your coop might garner some suggestions.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

You can see the blanked off space for the nest box, I have another on the other side of the coop
It’s framed to a 14x48” opening so if you add the width of the plywood you end with 12.5” tall.
I suppose I could remove the frame opening and make it larger but I’d rather not if it’s not really that big of a deal.