Any input on this coop?

[soniasilbert]

Hi there,

You all were so helpful when I posted a possible coop picture, that I thought I'd do it again. Due to your advice, I'm now aiming for between 30-40 sq ft for 6-10 hens (probably starting with 8 this spring).

A local builder has some pre-made coops for sale that look pretty good to me. This is a link to the larger version, but I'd be getting a 5x7 for $850 that is the same design - picture of the 5x7 attached. He said there is ventilation under the roof eaves. It looks well built. I would add a run around it.

Do you have any suggestion for questions I should ask him?

Thank you!
Sonia

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That would be undersized for 10 hens and 10 won't need 5 nest boxes. They would use 2 nests and possibly would appreciate 3.

 

[chickentrains]

too small for 10

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

1) Much too small for 10 hens. Still quite small for 8.
2) They definitely don't need 10 nesting boxes. Like @ChickenCanoe said, 3 would be just great and 2 would be fine.
3) A good question would be if it had a roosting bar. It's not that difficult to install anyway, a lot of people use a 2x4 wide side up.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

1) Much too small for 10 hens. Still quite small for 8.
2) They definitely don't need 10 nesting boxes. Like @ChickenCanoe said, 3 would be just great and 2 would be fine.
3) A good question would be if it had a roosting bar. It's not that difficult to install anyway, a lot of people use a 2x4 wide side up.

Whenever I see a coop built with more nests than the chickens it would hold need, I know the builder knows nothing about chickens so I would expect the ventilation to be inadequate and the height to be too short for the roosts to be significantly higher than the nests.

Is there any ventilation? It may hold 6 hens but I don't see 6 sq. ft. of ventilation. Without that, you are asking for respiratory issues in winter.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Whenever I see a coop built with more nests than the chickens it would hold need, I know the builder knows nothing about chickens so I would expect the ventilation to be inadequate and the height to be too short for the roosts to be significantly higher than the nests.

Wow, that's some smart thinking!

 

[soniasilbert]

Thanks for all your input. He told me the roof was vented but I don't know how much. I'll ask him how much sq footage of ventilation there is

I'm unclear why you all think it's too small - the 5x7 one is 35 square feet and if we had 6 or 8 hens, at 4 sq foot per bird, that's 32 sq ft max, right?

How tall do you think it needs to be to ensure enough height for the roosting bar to be in the right place? I believe it's 7'4" from ground to roof, which seems pretty tall to me.

Thank you!

 

[chickentrains]

if you wanted a coop for 10 chickens you need 40 square feet

so for example, a 10x4 or 5x8 coop would be bare minimum for 10 chickens

 

[Percheron chick]

Thanks for all your input. He told me the roof was vented but I don't know how much. I'll ask him how much sq footage of ventilation there is

I'm unclear why you all think it's too small - the 5x7 one is 35 square feet and if we had 6 or 8 hens, at 4 sq foot per bird, that's 32 sq ft max, right?

How tall do you think it needs to be to ensure enough height for the roosting bar to be in the right place? I believe it's 7'4" from ground to roof, which seems pretty tall to me.

Thank you!

Because the 5x7 is inclusive of the nesting boxes. Nesting boxes do not count in the 4 sq ft calculation. Sides are 5' (each nesting box is 1'. Front is 32" door plus 1' plus 1' (side of door) or about 5'. That makes the coop 5x5.
Height is both for better air circulation and for ease of cleaning and daily tasks. Based on the window it's probably 6' at the peak.

 

[Percheron chick]

if you wanted a coop for 10 chickens you need 40 square feet

so for example, a 20x20 coop would be bare minimum for 10 chickens

Check your math.