★ CONSTRUCTION · BACKYARD · COOPS
6 standard hens need 24 sq ft indoors and a 60 sq ft run. That is 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft of run per hen, with 2 nest boxes and 5 ft of roost. Enter your hens and breed size for the coop, run, nest boxes and roost.
A coop is sized per hen: each standard hen needs 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft in the run, one nest box serves four hens, and each hen needs 10 inches of roost. This chart lists the space for the flock sizes people keep most, from 2 to 24 hens, and the lookup works out the indoor space, the run, the nest boxes and the roost for your hens and breed, so the number you get is the number to build.
A coop is sized per hen. A standard hen needs 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft in the run, a bantam needs 3 sq ft indoors and 8 sq ft in the run, and a large breed needs 5 sq ft indoors and 12 sq ft in the run. One nest box serves four hens, so the boxes are the hens divided by four and rounded up, and each hen needs 10 inches of roost, so the roost is the hens times 10 inches. The total footprint is the indoor space plus the run.
At the default — 6 standard hens — the indoor space is 6 × 4 = 24 sq ft, or about 4x6 ft, the run is 6 × 10 = 60 sq ft, or about 6x10 ft, the nest boxes are 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5, rounded up to 2 boxes, and the roost is 6 × 10 = 60 in, or 5 ft. The total footprint is 24 + 60 = 84 sq ft.
| Hens | Indoor sq ft | Run sq ft | Nest boxes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 8 | 20 | 1 |
| 4 | 16 | 40 | 1 |
| 6 | 24 | 60 | 2 |
| 8 | 32 | 80 | 2 |
| 10 | 40 | 100 | 3 |
| 12 | 48 | 120 | 3 |
| 16 | 64 | 160 | 4 |
| 20 | 80 | 200 | 5 |
| 24 | 96 | 240 | 6 |
The table is for standard hens. Bantams need three quarters of the space — 6 bantams need 18 sq ft indoors and a 48 sq ft run — and large breeds need a quarter more — 6 large hens need 30 sq ft indoors and a 72 sq ft run. The nest boxes and roost are the same for every breed: one box per four hens, and 10 inches of roost per hen.
Setup: 6 standard hens.
Line 1 — the indoor space. 6 hens × 4 sq ft = 24 sq ft, about 4x6 ft.
Line 2 — the run. 6 hens × 10 sq ft = 60 sq ft, about 6x10 ft.
Line 3 — the nest boxes. 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5, rounded up to 2 nest boxes.
Line 4 — the roost. 6 × 10 in = 60 in, or 60 ÷ 12 = 5 ft.
Line 5 — the total footprint. 24 + 60 = 84 sq ft in all.
4 hens: the indoor space is 16 sq ft, the run is 40 sq ft, and the nest boxes are 1. Four hens share one box, because one box serves four hens.
12 hens: the indoor space is 48 sq ft, the run is 120 sq ft, and the nest boxes are 3. Twelve hens need three boxes, and the roost is 120 in, or 10 ft.
Bantam 6 hens: the indoor space is 18 sq ft, the run is 48 sq ft, and the nest boxes are 2. Bantams are smaller, so they need 3 sq ft indoors and 8 sq ft of run each.
Large 6 hens: the indoor space is 30 sq ft, the run is 72 sq ft, and the nest boxes are 2. Large breeds need 5 sq ft indoors and 12 sq ft of run each.
10 hens: the indoor space is 40 sq ft, the run is 100 sq ft, and the nest boxes are 3. Ten hens need three boxes, because 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5, rounded up.
Reverse — the space back to hens: 24 sq ft indoors holds 6 hens, a 60 sq ft run holds 6 hens, 2 nest boxes serve up to 8 hens, and 60 in of roost serves 6 hens. Measure the coop you have, and the flock follows.
The model assumes standard laying hens at 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft of run each, which is the common backyard standard: enough room to roost, nest and move without crowding. It assumes the run is attached to the coop and the hens use it in the daytime, and it assumes the nest boxes are shared, one per four hens. It leaves out the space for feeders, waterers and a brooder, which sit inside the coop on top of the per-hen space, and it leaves out local rules: many towns limit the flock size and set the coop back from the property line, so check the local ordinance before you build. It also leaves out ventilation and predator proofing, which are build details, not floor space. Rounding convention: space to whole square feet, roost to whole inches, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor space | hens × sq ft per hen | 24 sq ft indoors. |
| Indoor footprint | suggested rectangle | 4x6 ft. |
| Run space | hens × run sq ft per hen | 60 sq ft run. |
| Run footprint | suggested rectangle | 6x10 ft. |
| Nest boxes | hens ÷ 4, rounded up | 2 boxes. |
| Roost length | hens × 10 in | 60 in. |
| Roost in feet | inches ÷ 12 | 5.00 ft. |
| Total footprint | indoor + run | 84 sq ft. |
| 4 hens | same model, 4 hens | 16 sq ft indoors, 40 sq ft run, 1 nest box. |
| 12 hens | same model, 12 hens | 48 sq ft indoors, 120 sq ft run, 3 nest boxes. |
| Bantam 6 hens | same model, bantam | 18 sq ft indoors, 48 sq ft run, 2 nest boxes. |
| Large 6 hens | same model, large | 30 sq ft indoors, 72 sq ft run, 2 nest boxes. |
| 10 hens | same model, 10 hens | 40 sq ft indoors, 100 sq ft run, 3 nest boxes. |
| Reverse: 24 sq ft indoors holds | 24 ÷ sq ft per hen | 6 hens. |
| Reverse: 60 sq ft run holds | 60 ÷ run sq ft per hen | 6 hens. |
| Reverse: 2 nest boxes serve | 2 × 4 hens | up to 8 hens. |
| Reverse: 60 in of roost serves | 60 ÷ 10 in | 6 hens. |
The math is exact for the numbers you enter: the indoor space is the hens times the square feet per hen, the run is the hens times the run square feet per hen, the nest boxes are the hens divided by four and rounded up, and the roost is the hens times 10 inches. What the model cannot do is read your birds for you: check the breed size, because bantams need 3 sq ft indoors and large breeds need 5, and check the local ordinance, because many towns limit the flock and set the coop back from the property line. It assumes the common backyard standard of 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft of run per standard hen, and it leaves out feeders, waterers, ventilation and predator proofing. For the garden bed next to the coop, see garden bed size chart; for the dog’s crate, see dog crate size chart.
Bright Side Kit. "Chicken Coop Size Chart: Space Per Hen & Run Guide 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/chicken-coop-size-chart/ Accessed October 25, 2026.4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft in the run, per standard hen. A standard hen needs 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft in the run, so 6 hens need 24 sq ft indoors and a 60 sq ft run. Bantams need 3 sq ft indoors and 8 sq ft of run, and large breeds need 5 sq ft indoors and 12 sq ft of run.
24 sq ft indoors, with a 60 sq ft run. Six standard hens need 24 sq ft indoors, about 4x6 ft, and a 60 sq ft run, about 6x10 ft, with 2 nest boxes and 5 ft of roost. The total footprint is 84 sq ft.
One box per four hens, rounded up. Six hens need 2 nest boxes, 10 hens need 3, and 12 hens need 3. Two nest boxes serve up to 8 hens. Hens share boxes, so more boxes than one per four hens are rarely used.
10 inches per hen. Six hens need 60 inches of roost, or 5 ft, and 12 hens need 120 inches, or 10 ft. Put the roost higher than the nest boxes, so the hens sleep on the roost and lay in the boxes.
120 sq ft. Twelve standard hens need 12 times 10 sq ft, which is 120 sq ft of run, plus 48 sq ft indoors. That is about 10x12 ft of run, with 3 nest boxes and 10 ft of roost.
Yes, about a quarter less. Six bantams need 18 sq ft indoors and a 48 sq ft run, against 24 sq ft and 60 sq ft for standard hens. The nest boxes and roost are the same: 2 boxes and 60 inches of roost for 6 hens of any breed.
They can, but they should not be. Crowding causes pecking, stress and disease, and the eggs drop. The 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft of run per hen is the common backyard standard: go bigger if you can, and never smaller.
96 sq ft indoors, with a 240 sq ft run. Twenty-four standard hens need 96 sq ft indoors, about 8x12 ft, and a 240 sq ft run, with 6 nest boxes and 20 ft of roost. That is the largest flock in the chart.