4x4x4 coop big enough?

[rvroman]

I am building a coop and am not sure how many chickens a I can keep in it. My coop will be 4x4x4 with external nesting boxes, and multiple roosting levels. There is also a completely enclosed run that is 10 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet tall. They will be also be allowed to free range in my 24x24 foot garden.


Right now I have 3 random breed pullets (though I am starting to suspect 1 is a roo) and 1 bantam. If i do indeed have a roo I will have to rehome him. Then I will be down to 2 and 1. I have at least 1 ameraucauna egg incubating right now and would also like an EE. That would take me from 3 to 5 and I may have to provide a home for my moms frizzle leghorn, so 6 total, 5 big and 1 bantam. With the amount of room they have will that be alright.

Do I need a door to that opens and closes from the coop to the run if the run is secured on all sides with poultry netting? If I wanted to when it gets colder out I could also insulate the run and turn it into an 'indoor run."

 

[Silkie88]

6-8 sounds like a resonable amont for your coop. If you have time check out my coop it is 4x12 feet and im going to be putting 8 chickens in it.

=
Best of luck with your chickens

 

[bnjrob]

Rule of thumb is 4 sq ft/chicken of floor space in the coop and 10 sq ft/chicken in the run to help avoid problems with pecking/cannibalism etc.

Some people have said that they get by with less square feet per bird in the coop but they usually have very large runs or free range their birds so the birds spend very little time cooped up in the coop.

Poultry netting is inadequate predator defense. A dog or even a raccoon can tear up chicken wire quickly and get the birds. A door that closes to the coop is the safest and hardware cloth on all the windows/vents in the coop.

Unless you live in a very cold area or have birds that are prone to frostbite because of their physical attributes, an "inside run" is usually not necessary. Chickens were meant to be outdoors and acclimate fairly well. If you are concerned about heat/cold, insulating the coop would be a better option.