Coop too small?

[CoFarmer]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

As others have noted, that coop is WAY too small. Unfortunately, coop makers often claim numbers based on legal minimums for commercial chickens.

And yes, being overcrowded can cause social problems, sanitation problems, and health problems.

Here are the Usual Guidelines.

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

14 hens would need:

• 56 square feet in the coop -- at least 8x7 but 8x8 would be easier to build,
• 560 feet in the run,
• 14 linear feet of roost,
• 4 nest boxes,
• And 14 square feet of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation.

This is an excellent idea.

 

[Crazy_Beautiful]

Yes behavioral issues and health issues can arise with crowding, so glad you're trying to address it now before winter hits, where crowding issues can worsen.

They mostly rely on their feathers to keep them warm (they fluff them up and the space between the feathers holds in heat), not by using body heat to warm the space. Which is why even in winter you still want to have good ventilation. An 8x10 coop would be very appropriate for your flock, especially considering that depending on your run set up they may not be able to (or may not choose to) be out all day in the winter.

Stalking this post a bit.... my coop is 6x10 and I currently have 17 chickens just waiting to choose which rooster I'm going to keep than I'll be down to 14 or 15. My covered run is 6x10 and then the flock has access to a larger uncovered run as well that is maybe 40x60. I am hoping to build another 6x10 covered run before winter but I am just not sure if I will have time. The covered run was just built so I would be able to have something to attached plastic to to give a wind break and snow free zone and a place to keep the water as I don't want it in the coop at all (Location for me is Central Ontario). Will my flock be ok?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Stalking this post a bit.... my coop is 6x10 and I currently have 17 chickens just waiting to choose which rooster I'm going to keep than I'll be down to 14 or 15. My covered run is 6x10 and then the flock has access to a larger uncovered run as well that is maybe 40x60. I am hoping to build another 6x10 covered run before winter but I am just not sure if I will have time. The covered run was just built so I would be able to have something to attached plastic to to give a wind break and snow free zone and a place to keep the water as I don't want it in the coop at all (Location for me is Central Ontario). Will my flock be ok?

Are the chickens all adults? Have you had them overwinter in this set up before or this is the first year?

If the flock is currently getting along and you can get the numbers down a bit to 14 or 15, that should help. Main concern with having less coop space in areas with colder winters is if the flock can't get outside and are stuck in the coop for extended periods of time, that could cause tension due to crowding. Having at least the 6x10 covered run (weatherproofed) will help with that.

In extreme situations (flooding) I've had to lock my flock in the coop (10 birds, 6x10 coop) for a few days, but no issues developed since it was for such a short period of time. As my run is not weatherproofed, in winter I do have to go clear out patches of the run so the flock will come out of the coop - I can't do a full clear but as long as they have some space to move around in, they don't have issues.

 

[Crazy_Beautiful]

Are the chickens all adults? Have you had them overwinter in this set up before or this is the first year?

If the flock is currently getting along and you can get the numbers down a bit to 14 or 15, that should help. Main concern with having less coop space in areas with colder winters is if the flock can't get outside and are stuck in the coop for extended periods of time, that could cause tension due to crowding. Having at least the 6x10 covered run (weatherproofed) will help with that.

In extreme situations (flooding) I've had to lock my flock in the coop (10 birds, 6x10 coop) for a few days, but no issues developed since it was for such a short period of time. As my run is not weatherproofed, in winter I do have to go clear out patches of the run so the flock will come out of the coop - I can't do a full clear but as long as they have some space to move around in, they don't have issues.

Last year I had 14 birds all adults in just the coop... no covered run and lots of issues like flooding and I also had a few issues that required a vet (parasites) They had access to outside but with all the snow they stayed inside most of the time. I cleared snow as much as I could to help them out but we had more snow than I had ever seen in my 40 years

Currently I have 5 adult birds, 4 4 months old and rest are 2.5 months old. I'm just waiting on the 2.5 months old to grow a little to choose my rooster than rehoming the remaining roos. Looks like I have 3 roos 5 hens.
I plan on leaving their door open each day to their run so they can use it if they so choose as the weather gets cold and I'm plastic wrapping the rest this weekend.

 

[Crazy_Beautiful]

Last year I had 14 birds all adults in just the coop... no covered run and lots of issues like flooding and I also had a few issues that required a vet (parasites) They had access to outside but with all the snow they stayed inside most of the time. I cleared snow as much as I could to help them out but we had more snow than I had ever seen in my 40 years

Currently I have 5 adult birds, 4 4 months old and rest are 2.5 months old. I'm just waiting on the 2.5 months old to grow a little to choose my rooster than rehoming the remaining roos. Looks like I have 3 roos 5 hens.
I plan on leaving their door open each day to their run so they can use it if they so choose as the weather gets cold and I'm plastic wrapping the rest this weekend.

And to be honest they aren't getting along ... but I'm chalking that up to the age difference. My 4 months olds were raised by the hen lowest on the pecking order so they kinda just stick to themselves. Whereas the other younget ones are more assimilated

 

[Auntiearielschickens]

Okay if anyone is still following along here is the result.. we enclosed the coop so it would have 4 SQ ft for 20 birds and the run is 10 SQ ft for 20 birds..I only have 14 chickens, but might as well. I did the clear siding on half, but I'm going to insulate it 3/4 of the way up I think. I chose that to let in the light/heat of the sun since it gets cold I wanted to utilize what I could. Not sure if that was actually a good idea yet. the coop has a dirt floor. I'm installing the apron now. Will it be an issue with the clear siding that predators can potentially see in the coop? What are our thoughts?!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't know if it's an issue that potential predators could see in, but not sure how strong the clear siding is either (nor what predators you deal with).

I think come summer, you're going to want an alternative to the clear siding, especially if you get full sun at the location, as otherwise the coop will become something of an EZ bake oven in the sunlight.

 

[Auntiearielschickens]

Living where I do in Minnesota it's much easier to provide shade in the summer than it is to keep them warm in the winter. I only have a handful of summer days to worry about while most of winter will be below zero. So that's why I made that choice. I live on the edge of suburbia most predators would coyote and racoons with some outside outside house cats an dogs

 

[Sueby]

I just came in to say props to you for asking for, & taking, the advice of those who know. A lot of people get offended/defensive. You clearly care about your birds and want to do right by them.

 

[3KillerBs]

I hope that works for you.

Once you've been through the winter you need to write up your arrangement with lessons learned, things that worked, and things you'll do differently so that people can learn from it.