8x8ft for 3 chickens?

[Stefankeyes]

Hi guys. Haven't logged in for a while. My chickens are 16 weeks old now. a couple to a few weeks away from laying. Unfort due to harsh weather they have been indoors their entire life. But last night I ordered some lumber to make a "Run" for them as weather is picking up now. I ordered 20 x 2x2 lumber at 2.4 meter lengths. I'm hoping for them to have a 8ft by 8ft run. Would that be considered enough for the 3 hens? plus in time, With careful introduction add possibly a extra 2 hens so a total of 5? Reason for just 2x2inch lumber is because we live residential (UK) and don't really have predators in our area other than stray cats. so 2x2 should be enough with some hardware mesh, Just want to make sure that the space for them is enough to keep them happy as possible. I will full garden free range them in time once I can afford to build proper fencing etc to keep the chickens in and cats out!,

many thanks,
Stefan!

 

[Stefankeyes]

Hi guys. Haven't logged in for a while. My chickens are 16 weeks old now. a couple to a few weeks away from laying. Unfort due to harsh weather they have been indoors their entire life. But last night I ordered some lumber to make a "Run" for them as weather is picking up now. I ordered 20 x 2x2 lumber at 2.4 meter lengths. I'm hoping for them to have a 8ft by 8ft run. Would that be considered enough for the 3 hens? plus in time, With careful introduction add possibly a extra 2 hens so a total of 5? Reason for just 2x2inch lumber is because we live residential (UK) and don't really have predators in our area other than stray cats. so 2x2 should be enough with some hardware mesh, Just want to make sure that the space for them is enough to keep them happy as possible. I will full garden free range them in time once I can afford to build proper fencing etc to keep the chickens in and cats out!,

many thanks,
Stefan!

Sorry i should add. they have a smallish coop which will be placed inside the run maybe 50ishCM by 1 meter for sleeping in ( idea is to turn entire run into a coop eventually and let the hens free range in entire garden)

 

[CapricornFarm]

Chickens should have 4 square feet each in the coop and 10 square feet each in the run. Can dogs get into your yard? Many of them will attack and kill chickens. There also may be more wildlife out there than you see.

 

[Gracellyn23]

It's definitely on the small side but if you're letting them free range most days it should work

 

[3KillerBs]

Hi guys. Haven't logged in for a while.

Welcome back. If you put your general location into your profile it will be easier for people to give you better targeted advice. (I'm sorry, I don't know what the standard dimensions of lumber and sheet goods are in the US, so my info below may not apply).

With careful introduction add possibly a extra 2 hens so a total of 5?

Here are the numbers for a flock of 4:

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

The 8x8 run should be good, but what will the coop be like?

 

[Stefankeyes]

Apologies all. didn't receive the email notification to your responses.

 

[Stefankeyes]

Welcome back. If you put your general location into your profile it will be easier for people to give you better targeted advice. (I'm sorry, I don't know what the standard dimensions of lumber and sheet goods are in the US, so my info below may not apply).



Here are the numbers for a flock of 4:

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

The 8x8 run should be good, but what will the coop be like?

Hi apologies for the late response. didn't get the email notif also completely forgot I made the post. Life has been mad the past few days haha! Yes 8x8ft the idea with the coop externally attached to it to maximize all interior run space for them. Undecided weather to make it a "A frame" for sturdiness or just stick with normal frame. Right now their in a temporary coop. Its a small one but they all seem to be happy for the moment and all fit onto the roost bars. It has 2 nest boxes,( roughly 2 x 1 meter total coop size) I do plan on getting a larger coop for them to sleep in towards summer time. Although they are fairy small hens (unsure breed as I bought them as mixed fertile eggs last year.) So in total the run should be 64sq feet for the run.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hi apologies for the late response.

No problem. We've all got lives.

Undecided weather to make it a "A frame" for sturdiness or just stick with normal frame.

I don't recommend an A-frame. They are one of those ideas that look good on paper but fail in practice. The problems are that they are nearly impossible to ventilate properly and that you lose a LOT of useable space due to the roof slope -- anything a chicken can't actually stand up in.

Here are some small coop ideas that might inspire you:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dallas-urban-coop-single-slope-design.72422/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/yakisugi-coop.76398/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coreys-coop-de-doop.55619/

 

[Poppy Putentake]

I concur that A-frame coops have too many disadvantages. (Including, in a snowy climate, snow piling up along the sides).

Also, although the rule-of-thumb is one nesting box for every 3 or 4 (or 5) chickens, even for a small flock I''d go with no fewer than 3, because you don't want a hen to find all the nests occupied and tohen go looking for some alternative nesting place.

If you are making a small coop, consider having it on wheels so you can change both the location and the orientation to the sun with the seasons. (Windows to the south or east in winter, to the north in summer.)

 

[Stefankeyes]

I concur that A-frame coops have too many disadvantages. (Including, in a snowy climate, snow piling up along the sides).

Also, although the rule-of-thumb is one nesting box for every 3 or 4 (or 5) chickens, even for a small flock I''d go with no fewer than 3, because you don't want a hen to find all the nests occupied and tohen go looking for some alternative nesting place.

If you are making a small coop, consider having it on wheels so you can change both the location and the orientation to the sun with the seasons. (Windows to the south or east in winter, to the north in summer.)

Ahh didn't think about the Snow! fortunately we don't get it often here. maybe every few years in the part of Scotland where i am. But when it snows. it snows hard! so that's a very good point about not using the A frame!. The coop its self we already have. it was just a standard Pawhut branded one with 2 nest boxes. The 8x8 build is just for the run that I can modify onto the coop. so probably go with the cube shape build then with a lean roof and hardware cloth on the sides. I heard 1inch holes in the mesh should be the maximum gap size?

Here are some small coop ideas that might inspire you:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

Absolutely Love that old style barn looking coop!! Wish my skills where that advanced!