8x8 coop or 10x12 coop?

[Ridgerunner]

Where do you live? I'm thinking about what kind of weather you have. Have you had chickens through a winter yet? I don't know if you have that experience or not or if it is even important where you are.

You might follow the link in my signature below about space. I don't believe in magic numbers like square feet per chicken, that link explains why not. And it might help you plan.

Chickens don't see space as coop space or run space. If they need room they either have it or they don't, wherever it is. If your chickens have access to the outside area coop space is less important. If they are locked in the coop either because you lock them in there (maybe for predator protection) or because weather keeps them in the coop for any period of time coop space becomes very important. If they have outside access 4 square feet per chicken in the coop (a very common magic number on here) may be more room than needed. If they are locked in the coop it may not be enough. That's one example of why I don't believe in magic numbers.

I always suggest you go as big as you reasonably can. I find the more I squeeze them the more behavioral problems I have, the harder I have to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues. Of these I value flexibility the most. Stuff happens. It's good to have enough room to deal with it. One example of this. Say a predator starts eating one chicken a day. Do you have the room to lock them up somewhere safe while you deal with that predator?

You're having birds sleeping in nests and the run because your current coop is WAY to small to house them all.

You only need one nest per every 4-5 birds. if you build 1 nest per bird it is a waste of time and effort. They will still share nests. Trying to save you some work there.

I agree, building a nest for each and every hen is a huge waste. They won't use them all. The material to build them costs money. It takes time to build them. They can take up valuable space you could use for something else. A common number used on here is one nest for every 4 hens. If you have 25 or 30 hens one nest for every 5 hens would work. They still will not use them all but you need a number and it's a pretty good one.

I absolutely agree what you have now is too small for your current flock. The reason you are not having behavioral issues is that you leave the pop door open all the time.

My current main run is 12' x 32'. I also have an area about 45' x 65' inside electric netting. I mention this because I'm trying to envision 30 grown chickens in my 12 x 32 run, let alone 40 chickens. By all means make your run as large as you can stand.

 

[2006powerstroke90]

I understand my coop is to small for the amount of chickens I have now. I had to take in 5 quickly as an elderly lady broke her foot and couldn’t take care of them anymore. So I wanted to help her out.
I am in CT, I have been thru a winter with them already. I feel my run and coop is very predator proof(knock on wood) and space definitely isn’t an issue on my property. I just don’t know if I want to have 5k invested into a massive coop and run. I am definitely going to get a 10x12 and use it as a coop. Maybe I won’t get 30-40 chickens maybe 25 or so. I’d really like to stick to a 10x30 run. As mine is 10x10 now and it’s kind of tight with the 13 chickens I have now when they’re all in it. I never close the pop door on the coop, I like to kind of let them do their own thing. Thanks for the info on the nesting boxes which makes sense. Because I have 6 currently laying and they all use the same nesting box.

I like the point about a predator eating 1 a day. I think with the new set up I will go to the full extreme to predator proof it. Like putting hardwire cloth 10inches into the ground and up the side of the run. With hardwire cloth along the walls of the run and a nice real roof. Instead of the tarps I have now. My budget is roughly $3,000 can go up if need be. I actually found a place that offers amazing chicken coops fully assembled with real wood and built to last. They offer a 10x12 that’s already set up as a coop with nesting boxes and roosting bars etc.

I do not have any behavior problems now. They are all friendly and get along great(ever since I got rid of my rooster)

 

[aart]

I actually found a place that offers amazing chicken coops fully assembled with real wood and built to last. They offer a 10x12 that’s already set up as a coop with nesting boxes and roosting bars etc.

Does it fit your budget?
Link to coop?

 

[rayrose]

You'll find that your birds will use the run more than the coop. Mine use the coop only to lay eggs and to roost. I have 12 and they spend the entire day in the 18x28 covered run. I also keep my pop door open. My 8x8 coop is raised 2' off the ground, which gives them an additional 8x8 space under the coop, where they dust bathe.My nest boxes are attached to the outside of the coop. Bite the bullet and spend the money now. Once and done.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OK, here are my recommends.

The biggest you can reasonably afford is always best. If you don't need the space, you can put it to other purposes. If you DO need the space, adding on is always more expensive, and more time consuming, than having done it larger the first time round.

Multiples of dimensional lumber are best, minimizes cutting, particularly on flooring/wall materials. Since no 2x4x10' is actually 10' long, you are going to have to trim them all anyways - so that's where you make the cuts to fit the framing inside the envelope.

On floors, I like multiples of 4', 8' when I can. 8x8. 8x12. 12x12. 12x16. Much easier to butt up 4x8 sheets than to try and cut a straight 8' line down several sheets because you decided to make the shed 8x10, and had to rip one in half. Would much rather, when I have to, rip a 4x8 sheet into a pair 4x4s - but if I can make an 8x12 by laying three sheets side by side??? PRICELESS. What are you going to do with the 2'x8' extra half sheet, anyways? Roofing materials are bought, typically, in multiples of 2' (polycarbonate, metal), 3' (metal), or 4' (polycarbonate, decking) and lengths of either 8' or 10' typically. So plan accordingly, and adjust your overhangs to minimize cuts. Once again, I'd rather cut a 2x4 (or 6) than trim a bunch of steel or plastic roofing to length.

Roof pitch, absent special needs, should be 3/12 at minimum - that's the recommend by the shingle manufacturers, the poly mfgs, the sheet metal mfgs. So regardless of roof construction, that's the "floor" below which you shouldn't go. Water will run off shallower pitches, yes, but the lower the pitch, the slower water will move. That's time to puddle, to corrode the fasteners, and for leaves, etc to build up - all bad for long term durability.

More roof overhang, particularly for coops, is a good thing - it helps shelter those monster vents most locate just under the roof to move moist, ammonia laden air out of the coop. If your nesting boxes protrude out the building on the short side, think about where all the water hitting the roof will be dumped when you have to check the boxes in the rain. Yup, you guessed it... Same if you locate a door there. And of course the roof should pitch water away from the run (and your house).

Make a trip to your local lumber store, look at what they stock. Don't plan on using a bunch of 2x6x14s as roof rafters if all they stock is 2x6x12s and 2x6x16s - or revise your plan to take advantage of the extra overhang.

Finally, before you have cut the first board, give a thought to where its being placed. Now is the time to grade the soil so it falls away from coop and run, to ensure water doesn't pool there and become a problem later. Which way are your prevailing winds? You don't want that high open vent pointed right into your summer rains. Other considerations will vary by climate and resources - do you need passive solar gain? High seasonal wind considerations (and how are you anchoring your coop and run to the ground????) Power? Water? City/County mandated setbacks? etc.

A properly designed coop works as a system, each component supporting the others. What works for me probably does not work for you, though we share common elements.

 

[RoseHawke]

The DH wants to buy/build me a "she shed" (although in reality I would probably be the one building it,) and has done a lot of research on it. One of the sites he frequents has this to say: "No one ever says 'Dang! I wish I'd built a smaller barn!'" I suspect this applies to chicken coops as well.

 

[2006powerstroke90]

Just an update. That coop they had didnt work out. I couldn’t justify spending $5,000+ on it.
However, I did order an 8x10 shed from them.
I know I wanted a 10x12 but after figuring out budget(a nicely set up run is way more than I thought) I figured it should be fine. 80sq ft of an actual coop vs the 16sq ft of actual coop they have now should be a night and day difference for them. I may not have as many birds as I wanted but I think I’ll still get 7 more to make it an even 20.
As far as the run goes I’m still up in the air on how to design it and how big. Once the shed arrives and I get the nesting boxes and roosting bars in and done I will figure out my run

 

[2006powerstroke90]

Now I just have to figure out how to set it up, I plan on putting in 6 nesting boxes and a few roosting bars. I almost want to make a bench for them to sleep on in case they don’t want to roost.

 

[rayrose]

They won't use the bench, just do the roost and allow at least
one foot per bird, and make it as high as possible.They all want
to be on top.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Now I just have to figure out how to set it up,

For the vertical, first determine the floor level, including bedding. Don't forget the bedding. Make your pop door a little above the top of the bedding so they don't scratch a lot of it out. I don't know what your human door looks like or how it swings (if it swings) but don't let bedding block it or fall out of it either.

After you determine floor level set up your nests. Sone people like the nests at floor level, others have them up higher. Think of your convenience. You want to be able to gather eggs and handle other things in them comfortably. If you have a bad back you may want them to be up higher so you don't have to bend over. If young kids are collecting them you don't want it too high for them. In all this think about your comfort, the chickens won't know the difference.

Next install your roosts. The roosts need to be noticeably higher than anything you don't want them sleeping on. That includes the nests. In an 8x10 coop 12" should be noticeable.
I like the roosts to be as low as reasonable as long as they are higher than anywhere you don't want them to sleep. There are different reasons for that. I don't remember you saying where you are, that can make a difference. In colder climates you need ventilation to keep moisture from building up and causing frostbite but you don't want a cold breeze blowing on them on the roosts when the wind is blowing. If you put your ventilation up high enough that any breezes are over their heads you solve both problems. The higher you make the roosts the more clear landing area they need when they fly down. You don't want them flying into feeders, waterers, nests, or walls on the way down. If you need to catch them to inspect them for mites or lice or do anything else the easiest way to catch them is take them off the roosts at night. The roost should be at a convenient height to do that.

For a floor layout you need to think about your convenience. The roosts are often an obstacle for you to get anywhere so they probably should go on a wall away from the door, as out of the way as you can get them. Most people use what we call a pop door. That is a small door, maybe 12" x 12", for the chickens to use to and from the run. You could use a human door but that can let in a lot of weather. You probably want access to that pop door so under the roosts is not a good spot. And you want easy access to the nests.

If you are in a hot climate an air vent can help with ventilation. Warm air rises as long as there is cooler air to replace it. Typically the coolest air will be low down in a shady spot. In the northern hemisphere that is usually on the on the north side, in the southern hemisphere the south side. You can close this off in winter if you have cold winters to stop breezes from blowing over the roosts.

If you have hot summers you do not want your nests turning into ovens. Build them so hot air can rise out of them. I'd suggest you avoid sunny walls. In the northern hemisphere south and west walls are usually the sunniest. In the southern hemisphere the north and west are the ones to avoid.

These re the things I suggest you consider when laying out the building. Good luck!