How many chickens could I have in a 10X10 coop?

[chicken farmer]

Yep I'm hopin,and I'm gonna order some chicks here soon. Around 5-8 hens

 

[chicken farmer]

Hey guys,thanks for all the info. I'm thinking of 20-25 chickens like I said and if problems start I'll move some to my big grow out pen

 

[ChickenLegs13]

When I say *coop* I mean the shed like building the chickens sleep in, inside of the pen.
In my experience, the only problem that arises in a 10'x10' coop when I have less than 4 sq ft/per bird is the coop starts to get an ammonia smell.

I *could* roost 100 birds in a 10x10 but the poop & ammonia would be overwhelming & unhealthy after the first night. My coop is well ventilated with a dirt floor that I never clean, so 20-25 birds is my magic number.

 

[chicken farmer]

When I say *coop* I mean the shed like building the chickens sleep in, inside of the pen.
In my experience, the only problem that arises in a 10'x10' coop when I have less than 4 sq ft/per bird is the coop starts to get an ammonia smell.

I *could* roost 100 birds in a 10x10 but the poop & ammonia would be overwhelming & unhealthy after the first night. My coop is well ventilated with a dirt floor that I never clean, so 20-25 birds is my magic number.

Yea I get mad when people refer to the pen as a coop,it's the building they roosts/lay eggs in. And yea you need to keep it clean and free of ammonia. Which I have a wood floor which is more predator proof and warm than the dirt floor and easier to clean. But everyone is different,and I also have good ventilation. I'm gonna go take pictures real quick for you guys and maybe a video if I can get one so you guys can have a better idea of it

 

[map849]

I am hoping someone can set me straight because the more posts I read the more confused I get. In May I got 5 adult BR hens and realized almost immediately that the coop I bought that was supposed to be for 6-8 chickens was not going to work for the girls, especially this winter. I now have a 10' x 12' shed with 8' x 10' for the hens. I cannot imagine 20-25 or more chickens sharing this space. By the time we put in 2 nests, a 2' x 3' dust bathe and a 6' roost that has a 24" x 7' poop board under it I have almost run out of space. Oh, and we have a hanging feeder and waterer for the days that that will be shut in the coop. There is also a 15' x 6' run attached. What have we done wrong or do we think the hens need more space than is necessary? I read that roosts should be under 3' high (ours are 20"), but if they were higher we would have more floor space. Please set me straight because in the spring I was hoping to get 3 more hens, but am afraid I won't have enough room.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I read that roosts should be under 3' high (ours are 20"), but if they were higher we would have more floor space.

Mine are roughly 8' high. I'm not sure why anyone would want them so low - these are birds that will live in trees if given the chance.

 

[MeepBeep]

Mine are roughly 8' high. I'm not sure why anyone would want them so low - these are birds that will live in trees if given the chance.

Many of the heavier domestic breeds (especially meat breeds) of chicken can't fly to an 8' roost, the lower roost height allows these non-flight birds to hop to a roost instead of fly... Several of my birds seem to prefer the lower roost...

 

[aart]

Quote:

It can also depend on the size of coop so they have room to fly down without crashing into a wall.

Mine are only 36" but I had to install a ramp for the fliers and the heavy girls to avoid the crash against wall and the huge THUD when they jumped onto the floor. My coop is only 6 feet wide.


Quote:
There is a lot of 'conflicting' information...but there are a lot of variables from coop to coop and breed to breed and keeper to keeper.
If you're going by the oft cited 4sqft in coop, I've found that is a minimum, more space is always better especially if you live in a cold snowy climate.

It can take some 'field design' and modification once you start building and then again when you get your birds.
You don't really need 2' x 3' dust area, a bin that's 1' x 2' will suffice for when they can't find a place to dust outside during a frozen winter.
Go ahead and make the roost board higher and maybe add a ramp...you can also raise the nests off the floor(24") to free up more floor space.
Here's how I maximized my floor space, nest box bottom is 24", roost boards are about 36", platform for ramps is about 16"(they can go under platform).

 

[lazy gardener]

Many of the heavier domestic breeds (especially meat breeds) of chicken can't fly to an 8' roost, the lower roost height allows these non-flight birds to hop to a roost instead of fly... Several of my birds seem to prefer the lower roost...

There is a lot of 'conflicting' information...but there are a lot of variables from coop to coop and breed to breed and keeper to keeper.
If you're going by the oft cited 4sqft in coop, I've found that is a minimum, more space is always better especially if you live in a cold snowy climate.

It can take some 'field design' and modification once you start building and then again when you get your birds.
You don't really need 2' x 3' dust area, a bin that's 1' x 2' will suffice for when they can't find a place to dust outside during a frozen winter.
Go ahead and make the roost board higher and maybe add a ramp...you can also raise the nests off the floor(24") to free up more floor space.
Here's how I maximized my floor space, nest box bottom is 24", roost boards are about 36", platform for ramps is about 16"(they can go under platform).

Aart hit all of the coop design issues with this one well stated post, and a pic is worth a thousand words. The biggest coop design flaws that I see, especially with the smaller coops are: not enough roost space, and it is too close to the wall, so that their tail feathers take a beating by rubbing against the wall. They don't have enough room to easily get on/off the roost without ruffling the feathers of their roost mates. The more aggressive birds will make life miserable for their underlings if the roosts are crowded. Roosts are often too small in diameter. In cold weather, it is best if the roost is big enough for the chicken to stand on the roost without toes curling down around the edges. (2 x 4 on the flat is a good size) Ventilation and lighting are key. The smaller the coop, the more likely to have ammonia build up, which is lung toxic. If you can smell ammonia, you already have an issue.

 

[map849]

Thanks to all. I think I've got it. Will raise the roost so that I have room to hang feeder under it, add ramps and reduce the size of the dust bath. This will give them more floor space so that if they have to be shut in maybe they won't get on each others nerves like is happening now. Love the setup in the picture! It's obvious that I have never raised chickens before so thanks for your patience.