Coop Math

[Creteloc]

Can someone help me with this? Maybe it's because I'm rocking a killer cold, but I'm not grasping this at all.

So hubby and I have decided to buy an 8x8 shed and split it. Half for a new coop and half for his manly stuff.

I need make sure I have enough room. I get however much I want and then he gets the rest, but I don't want to be greedy either. We'll build a box for the coop with a door on the side so I can clean it and gather eggs.

I have 7 chickens. 1 RIR, 1 EE, 4 Speckled Sussex, and 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte. I will want a 12" bucket for water inside, plus I'm hoping to build a ladder-like roost. The nesting boxes (hoping to have 24x12x12 separated by a divider) will stick out of the side of this box.

How much floor space do I need and how tall should it be? I keep thinking i need 28 sq foot for the chickens, so about 4x7? Then I add in the bucket so 30 sq ft? But then I have height to add to that sq ft right? See, confused!

 

[Creteloc]

Maybe I should add that the chickens will spend only nights in this shed. They have a 5ft x 10ft double decker run to play in during the day.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I think 28 square feet would work, including the bucket. I would say less space if they were just sleeping,but when there is bad weather, or it's cold, they will stay inside, it's good to have a bit more space. Plus, they aren't going to all be on the ground at the same time.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Make sure hubby is ok with all his stuff being covered by a layer of chicken dust! lol We have a garage that we bought just for my brooders and when he saw how much space was unused, my husband moved some tools in. They're constantly covered with a thick layer of dust. I personally don't care if my extra equipment is dusty but it drives him batty....so I thought I'd mention it.

 

[imnukensc]

Just split the difference. In other words, take half. That will give you 32 sq ft and he will have 32 sq ft. I would not put the waterer inside, but that's just me. When you start adding height in then you're getting into cubic feet, but you'd want it to be at least 4 feet tall IMHO.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Yeah! get the whole shed back!

 

[Creteloc]

Oh I would love to have the entire shed! However, hubby and I have an 'allowance' in a way, and I save up mine to buy chicken stuff. I can't afford the entire shed, and neither can he. So we're splitting it. I've warned him that anything he puts in there will smell like chickens and get covered in dust, but he said he doesn't care if his lawn mower or snow blower gets covered.

4 feet tall? So 4x7 and 4 feet tall is enough, ya think? I have to have the water inside or it freezes in our COLD Utah winters. I tried one of those water warmers that go inside the water and it kept turning their water rust colored, even though I bought it at IFA in the chicken section and it was made for putting inside the water container. It was narsty. Inside the coop it stays warm enough to not freeze.

 

[Deb T]

Hubby needs to get another shed for himself

 

[Chullicken]

Just buy a goat and you won't need that silly idea of a garden shed..geesh!

 

[SueT]

With a shed that big, you'll appreciate standing headroom......whether used for tools or chickens.