2nd Story and Sizing

[Beccatrix]

Hello! We are getting an 8x12 shed that is 6'4" tall. We'll lose some space after insulating and installing rodent wiring.

Originally we had planned on an indoor flight pen of 10 sq ft for quail, 4 ducks, and 2 geese.

My husband would like to add chickens. We've currently ordered 6 Swedish Flowers; 5 hens and 1 rooster. I was contemplating a total of 13 hens and 2 roosters in case some pass away young. I'm worried if they all survive that the coop will be crowded with that many chickens.

Would it be helpful to run a ramp up to a "second story" of shelving around 3 sides in addition to roosts? How wide should the shelving be? Will the chickens get cold closer to the venting required for ducks?

Even with modifications, is that too many birds in the space?

Thanks for any thoughts!!

 

[3KillerBs]

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

As a general rule, it's difficult to mix waterfowl with chickens. They have very different needs and the wet conditions that waterfowl almost inevitably create are not healthy for chickens.

These numbers are for chickens. I *think* that they work for ducks too, but geese need more room and quail take special facilities designed for them alone.

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.

For chickens alone, at the two ends of the range you're thinking about,

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

15 hens

• 60 square feet in the coop. 8'x8' is easier to build than 6'x10'
• 15 feet of roost
• 150 square feet in the run. 10'x15', 12'x12' or 8'x20'
• 15 square feet of ventilation.
• 4 nest boxes.

There are ways to make efficient use of the space in your coop but chickens don't stack for storage and, in most cases, only the unobstructed square footage of the floor space counts when figuring out your space requirements.

Also, here is a great article explaining why these numbers are guidelines rather than rules. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

 

[Beccatrix]

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

As a general rule, it's difficult to mix waterfowl with chickens. They have very different needs and the wet conditions that waterfowl almost inevitably create are not healthy for chickens.

These numbers are for chickens. I *think* that they work for ducks too, but geese need more room and quail take special facilities designed for them alone.

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.

For chickens alone, at the two ends of the range you're thinking about,

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

15 hens

• 60 square feet in the coop. 8'x8' is easier to build than 6'x10'
• 15 feet of roost
• 150 square feet in the run. 10'x15', 12'x12' or 8'x20'
• 15 square feet of ventilation.
• 4 nest boxes.

There are ways to make efficient use of the space in your coop but chickens don't stack for storage and, in most cases, only the unobstructed square footage of the floor space counts when figuring out your space requirements.

Also, here is a great article explaining why these numbers are guidelines rather than rules. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

Thanks so much for this! I did add my location. I think I will consider dividing the coop on size, and having two different runs in order to have cleaner chickens (I hope!). Maybe I'll stick to my initial order of 5 hens and 1 rooster, with some additions to space and housing next season.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks so much for this! I did add my location. I think I will consider dividing the coop on size, and having two different runs in order to have cleaner chickens (I hope!). Maybe I'll stick to my initial order of 5 hens and 1 rooster, with some additions to space and housing next season.

IMO, it's better to start small and build your flock. That way you'll figure out what you like best and what works for you.

Also, it's good to have chickens of different ages in the flock. The adults teach the younger ones how chicken society works.