Coop Size

chickens r life said:

If you are looking to expand, then I'd build the coop a lot larger. Originally, I started off with one 7x6 coop. You'd think that would be plenty. I ended up building 2 more coops because I was expanding my flock so quickly!!

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His

There are no magic numbers for square feet per bird that works for everyone. You might want to follow the link in my signature to see what I think are some of the things that influence how much space they need. We are all so unique in how we manage them; climate, flock make-up, goals, and many other things that no one square feet number can cover all of us. In general I find the more I crowd them the more behavioral problems I have to deal with, the harder I have to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues.

As tight as you are talking you might spend a fair amount of time managing poop. At a high chicken density it could build up pretty fast. The more you have in a space the faster it builds up. If you plan to integrate in the future, you might find some extra room to be precious.

It’s not a case that at some square footage it is paradise but if you take away one square inch it becomes a total disaster. It’s more like the tighter you pack them the more stressful it is likely to become for you. A lot of this is not about the chickens, it’s about you and your comfort and convenience.

Thank you