What size of coop for 8-10 hens?

[maxmcl]

I say have 4 nesting boxes and make they coop as big as possible.

 

[chycknFun]

Go bigger if you can your chickens will be healthier and happier! For my 4 chickens I built a coop/run that I move periodically over fresh grass(takes two people to move it) run 4x12 with 4x6 coop covering 1/2 of the run area supposedly that's enough space for 6 chickens however I couldn't imagine my 4 having any less space. Every day I'm home and weather permitting I take my little sweetie pies out on the yard, they're always chomping at the bit to leave the confines of their total 72sf, funny thing is while they go everywhere tend to travel in a tight little pack together like a bunch of teanage girls at the mall seems freedom to move about and forage is as important or even more important as having personal space to them. I think chickens just plain get bored and frustrated when they are in too small of a space. Chickens seem to find exploration stimulating.. Be it pecking...scratching.... Eating....taking a dust bath...or just plain entertaining their curious nature they need room to enjoy these things seems too small of a space gets too familiar for them.

 

[LoraV]

The size of the coop (or run) you will need varied by your circumstance. Especially the breed you choose and the weather. We have two 4'x6 ' hoop style portable runs that we move around put over our raised garden beds between crops. We use these because we can't give the hens free range in this unfenced part of our yard. The portables are comfortable for 2 standard size hens but only for a few hours while they are "working" because once the soil has been worked they get listless and start pacing and squawking.

We have 9 hens in a 6x7 coop with two nest boxes. This would be way too small if they spent any time in it at all. But it works because then are never shut in all day, there is only 4-5 days when it rains so much that they need to stay in the covered run (125 sq ft), and seldom more than a day or two in a five year period that they couldn't be outside at all. The only time the ladies go into the coop is to use the nest boxes and to sleep.

As for nest boxes We started off with two "community" nest boxes but one has been converted to storage since they all lay in which ever box the first one uses that day. We divided it into two so we have one in case a hen goes broody.

How I understood it, your tractor (run and coop space combined) is 4X10. So IMO a 4x10 tractor is ok for 5-6 confined standard size hens as long as it's moved frequently so they have something to occupy themselves otherwise it will only accommodate 3 or 4.

I know this is a old thread but it seems like you have a similar situation as me. I am a newb, we have a plan for a 4 x 8 coop they will only be in the coop at night for sleep or laying. The weather where I live will only require them to be locked up 2 to 5 times a year. The run is going to be very large unsure how many square feet yet and they will be able to free range when I am home. I work part time so that is a lot. I can double the coop plan but that seems really large for 8 bantam chickens the only thing I worry about is chicken math but I can add on later or do I need to convince him I need him to build me a bigger coop!? I would rather the run be large and the coop be ok for sleep.

 

[RachRed]

Lora V, you are in the same boat as me! I'm getting 8 chicks (4 regular, 4 bantam). I decided on building a 4/8 raised coop w a huge chicken yard to scratch in all day and maybe some free range. I feel confident that I won't "need" more for my little family of 3...and should I, it wouldn't be too difficult to expand it to 8x8. I would have purchased a much smaller coop if it weren't for the good advise here on BYC!

 

[LoraV]

Funny that is the size we have decided on as well for the same reasons. Because they are bantam they will use less space and to make into an 8/8 wouldn't be crazy! LOL We haven't measured for the run yet but I am hoping to get 15 or more feet. Plus the free range when I am home! Glad to know someone is on the same page as me,

Good luck in your adventures I am looking forward to mine but I still have a long wait!

 

[wiredfrog10]

I have 7 chicks that I am going to build a 4x8 coop that is 8 foot tall at front and 7&1/2 in the back. My run will be 21ftx9ft and 6 ft tall with a bit more space behind the coop. With me being in nc our weather is pretty fair all year and the run will be covered. This being said I feel I should be able to add more birds provided I have the roosting space per bird. The other pen of hens I have they sometimes spend the night in the dirt or roosting in the run rather than the coop. I'll have 4 nest boxes and I know one of the 7 is a roo, hopefully no one else is. Any one else have thoughts on the number of birds I can have?

 

[Irishhenman]

What is your climate like? How many days/weeks a year will you have snow on the ground and are bad storms common? Will you free range your hens? What breed do you have in mind and large fowl or bantam? If you get quite a lot of snow you will need 4sq feet per large fowl chicken so 10 hens (your higher number) would need 40 sq feet so a 6x7 or 6x6 coop would be ideal. If you are like me and have a mild climate (I'm in Ireland) you can get away with as little as 1 sq feet per bird but I prefer 1.5 - 2sq feet so a 4x5 or 4x4 coop would be great. This does all depend on the questions I first asked, calmer birds need less space, bantams need considerably less. You will also need a minimum of 10sq feet per bird in their run, but the bigger the better.

 

[wiredfrog10]

What is your climate like? How many days/weeks a year will you have snow on the ground and are bad storms common? Will you free range your hens? What breed do you have in mind and large fowl or bantam? If you get quite a lot of snow you will need 4sq feet per large fowl chicken so 10 hens (your higher number) would need 40 sq feet so a 6x7 or 6x6 coop would be ideal. If you are like me and have a mild climate (I'm in Ireland) you can get away with as little as 1 sq feet per bird but I prefer 1.5 - 2sq feet so a 4x5 or 4x4 coop would be great. This does all depend on the questions I first asked, calmer birds need less space, bantams need considerably less. You will also need a minimum of 10sq feet per bird in their run, but the bigger the better.

Snow is rare, 5 days in a year is a lot for my area. We get a fair amount of rain, the temps in the summer can reach 100 generally not much over and in the winter the temps may get down to 32 at night but would not be a common day temp. I don't have chicks in mind. My seven I have are 2 BCM- one pullet and a roo, cuckoo maran, weslummer, Americana, araucana, and a BLRW. I don't know the difference between large and bantam. All the chicks are 5 weeks old and the maran are much much larger than the others. If I had to guess what my next additions would be I'd say a tolbunt, or silkie. Something that looks different. I love the variety.

 

[LoraV]

We are in the process of building a 3 by 8 foot coop, my run will be about 5 by 15 foot, hopefully more. Mine will be allowed out when I am home (only work part time) and able to watch (I had a hawk bathing in my pool the other day so need to be careful) I get 0 snow and I got all heat tolerant breeds all bantam size. I do however get into the 110 + range in the summer and storms can get bad in monsoon season but only about 3 + inches a year max.

 

[elweaselgrande]

Free range in South Texas, we just got 2 hens from a friend of a friend who was moving, the girls only go in to sleep or lay, plenty of yard with a shed they hang out under ( it is on stilts, the area floods when it rains) and a huge back porch I rinse daily

....so my question is do i need to increase the 6*8 coop with two boxes? The only concern to my mind is the hot summer nights, I remove slats on the sides in the summer to expose more of the screening under it, but they all sleep close together on the perches anyway.