My Head Hurts Stupid question Please, Ive read hundreds of threads and I still dont know

[67Mopar]

Coop size, foot print in feet for the actual floor plan of the hen house for 7 Chickens, simple enough right? oh 4 sq ft per bird, well that would be a small barn, I look for coops on sale and they look like they are no bigger than 4x4 cubed (think walls around a standard pallet) I have a 10x10 run, and old dog pen, but I need to build a comfortable house, simple just give me a size thats right, and no bigger than a standard 4x8 sheet of plywood, Please in layterm english Thank You

 

[PirateGirl]

Just make the footprint the size of your 4'x8' piece of plywood. That's about perfect for 7 chickens!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Coop size, foot print in feet for the actual floor plan of the hen house for 7 Chickens, simple enough right? oh 4 sq ft per bird, well that would be a small barn, I look for coops on sale and they look like they are no bigger than 4x4 cubed (think walls around a standard pallet) I have a 10x10 run, and old dog pen, but I need to build a comfortable house, simple just give me a size thats right, and no bigger than a standard 4x8 sheet of plywood, Please in layterm english Thank You

The coops on sale are built to commercial production standards regarding space per bird, allowing barely more than that provided in battery cages..... they are undersized, underventilated and completely unsuitable for the very purpose they are marketed for.
Build a minimum 4x8 building.

 

[theoldchick]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coop-size-for-7-chickens.260871/

http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/...rmine-your-flock-size-and-space-requirements/

 

[Zinjifrah]

Four square feet is a square that's two feet long on each side. So if your coop was 4x8, it would have room for 8 birds. If you went with a square, 6x6, it would be room for 9 birds. Etcetera.

 

[67Mopar]

Ok, I try and wrap my head around 4 sq ft per bird, then see all the coops that are half the size on a gazillion sites, to the point of i dont know what the heck im reading anymore, my gut was saying 4x6 with protruding nesting box, but 2 more ft isnt gonna kill me. Info overload, sorry for the dumb post, but I did read so many articles before I got to this point thanks folks, i'll try to contain my ignorance, but will always research before i ask, cause I know the answer is out there

 

[Ms Biddy]

Twenty-eight square feet is not so big is it? A little extra space is helpful when adding feeders, waterers, nest boxes etc. Why not just do 4x8? I have no idea why those box coops advertise such a large capacity, but it's mentally and physically unhealthy for chickens to be so crowded. It's also dirtier and smells worse. Chickens aren't meant to live in doll houses, although I do admit they're cute. I figure the real reason they make them that size is so buyers can fit them in the bed of a truck to take home from the store.

 

[67Mopar]

Ok I have a plan, thanks for whatever reason i just wasnt getting it, but i got it Thanks again put this post to bed.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Ok, I try and wrap my head around 4 sq ft per bird, then see all the coops that are half the size on a gazillion sites, to the point of i dont know what the heck im reading anymore, my gut was saying 4x6 with protruding nesting box, but 2 more ft isnt gonna kill me. Info overload, sorry for the dumb post, but I did read so many articles before I got to this point thanks folks, i'll try to contain my ignorance, but will always research before i ask, cause I know the answer is out there

Hey, don't feel bad! I was just reading about it all last night, myself, and had to draw it out on paper to wrap my head around dimensions! I kept getting stuck on '4 sq. ft'... 4 ft. x 4 ft. .... and I know better! I'm still drawing up the plans for mine - I'm looking at 10 x 10, currently, but may go bigger.

 

[PirateGirl]

4 square feet x 7 chickens means you need a 4ft x 7ft minimum for your coop