Advice on Coop size

[hungry4eggs]

I currently have 5 pullet chicks and will add a roo in a month or so. I have a small coop for them while they are young but would like to build a bigger coop with room to add five more after I hatch some this summer/fall. What dimensions should I go for, for the coop. I plan on putting a 12 ft run on each side so I can alternate thier yard time.

 

[Michael Apple]

With that many, I'd build at least a 6'x8' coop. I had 18 in a 8' x 10 coop and it got messy quick. You'll want a yard at least 20' x 20' for that many birds unless you plan on ranging them all day. Some may disagree, but from my experience over the past 35 years, the more room you provide, the healthier they will be, and the easier it will be keeping the area clean.

 

[hungry4eggs]

Thank you for the advice that will help me a lot.

 

[Michael Apple]

You're welcome. Take a look at the coop section of the forum and get some ideas.

 

[TravisE]

build it twice as big as whats recomended. cause you will end up with more. all i got to say is darn chicken math

. no one is immune that own chickens. also

 

[hungry4eggs]

Thanks again I have perused the cooc section, that is how I found backyard chickens, when I began my small coop. I will keep the small one for broody hens to hatch away from the others and meat birds after the hatch. I am going to meet with a buddy of mine who is a skilled carpenter for advice on plans and to elicit his help in the build.

 

[MoonShadows]

I was going to build a smaller coop untili I became a member of this forum. Now I am planning on a 10 x 8 for 16 chickens (5 sq ft per bird) and a run that will be 344 sq ft (21.5 square ft per bird). This even gives me room to expand a bit.

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[Crazy4mypeeps]

I was going to build a smaller coop untili I became a member of this forum. Now I am planning on a 10 x 8 for 16 chickens (5 sq ft per bird) and a run that will be 344 sq ft (21.5 square ft per bird). This even gives me room to expand a bit.

(Click Image to Enlarge)
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I like the angled layout. Very nicely planned. I hope that you will post pictures when you get it completed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m an advocate of going large if you can. There are no magic numbers when it comes to how much space they need. We keep them in so many different climates and conditions, with different flock make-ups, with different goals, and use so many different management techniques there cannot be one magic number that is best for us all. And as someone else sort of said, I find the more room I give them the fewer behavioral problems I have, the less hard I have to work, and the more flexibility I have in dealing with problems.

I’ll give you links to some articles I think will really help you.

Pat’s Big Ol' Ventilation Page
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

In Georgia, you don’t have to worry about cold. Even up north of Atlanta you are not going to see temperatures cold enough to cause any problems with your chickens as long as you give them the minimum amount of shelter and I’m thinking more about thunderstorms than cold when I think of minimum shelter. Summer heat is going to be much more dangerous. You need a lot of ventilation.

Another thing I’ll mention is that a lot of building materials come in 4’ and 8’ dimensions. If you plan your coop around those dimensions you can usually build a coop with less waste and less cutting for not much more money. I think you need an overhang on your roof so you can put ventilation under that overhang and still keep rainwater out so that needs to be considered too. A 6’ x 8’ isn’t really all that bad because you can split a sheet of plywood to get that odd 2’ and you need shorter roof beams, but with the purchase of another sheet of plywood and some roofing, you can make an 8’ x 8’ and not have to cut those 8’ long 2x4’s. Talk to your carpenter about it.

Also plan for the future. If you want a broody to raise chicks with the flock, she can do that better if she has some room to work in. That’s part of the flexibility I mentioned.

 

[hungry4eggs]

I was just offered bamboo flooring for free, a friend has a bunch left over from her house. I was thinking I could use it for the floor of the coop and line the nesting boxes with it. And you read my mind Ridgerunner, I was thinking of going 8x8 and ventilation was very forward in my mind. I'm thinking plenty of windows and vents up top.

I have to keep them in runs due to my dogs and local hawks that reside here. If it has to be stationary I was thinking putting a run on each side and alternating the use. I am planing on them being 20x8 or 25x8