Big enough coop?

[CKfarm22]

We have 5 hens and we have the omlet cube which my girls have plenty of room and we absolutely love the omlet love that I can't completely clean it and disinfect the entire thing in 20 min we have 2 coops for them to choose from and since the 1st day the omlet was added they have been sleeping in it ever since

How big is that cube?

 

[Imataken]

How big is that cube?

Like 4 by 4 I believe I've got 5 girls in it and they have tons of space my girls only use it to sleep and lay

 

[CKfarm22]

Like 4 by 4 I believe I've got 5 girls in it and they have tons of space my girls only use it to sleep and lay

4x4 would be 16 sq ft. Each bird needs at least 5 sq ft per bird in the coop.

 

[Imataken]

4x4 would be 16 sq ft. Each bird needs at least 5 sq ft per bird in the coop.

They have plenty of space they aren't crowded at all most people with my coop have more then 5 in it omlet says 10 but I wouldn't do 10 I wouldn't leave them in it during the day and there not in a coop with poop everywhere like my wood one that they have the option to go in and all 5 every night go in the omlet

 

[3KillerBs]

They have plenty of space they aren't crowded at all most people with my coop have more then 5 in it omlet says 10 but I wouldn't do 10 I wouldn't leave them in it during the day and there not in a coop with poop everywhere like my wood one that they have the option to go in and all 5 every night go in the omlet

4 square feet per adult standard-sized hen is the recommended *minimum*.

The numbers that manufacturers of prefab coops claim they can hold are based on the legal minimums for commercially-kept birds -- birds that are often debeaked to prevent aggressive behavior from doing damage and which are kept in an intensively-managed system with artificial ventilation where they will be culled by the time they're 2-3 years old.

While it is true that there are no hard-and-fast RULES when it comes to living animals, people here at BYC have seen many, many people come to seek advice for health, behavioral, and/or sanitation problems that have boiled down to not giving their chickens adequate space and/or adequate ventilation.

 

[CKfarm22]

4 square feet per adult standard-sized hen is the recommended *minimum*.

The numbers that manufacturers of prefab coops claim they can hold are based on the legal minimums for commercially-kept birds -- birds that are often debeaked to prevent aggressive behavior from doing damage and which are kept in an intensively-managed system with artificial ventilation where they will be culled by the time they're 2-3 years old.

While it is true that there are no hard-and-fast RULES when it comes to living animals, people here at BYC have seen many, many people come to seek advice for health, behavioral, and/or sanitation problems that have boiled down to not giving their chickens adequate space and/or adequate ventilation.

Thank you.

 

[lifein1840]

Still not very clued up on this, would this be big enough for 4 average sized hens and a cockerel? It’s only for them to sleep in as they’re free range in the day.
Not sure if it’s big enough would appreciate other opinions

You also have to think of the days they will stay in the coop when the weather is really bad. In my opinion, that seems very small for 5 full size chickens....

 

[CKfarm22]

They have plenty of space they aren't crowded at all most people with my coop have more then 5 in it omlet says 10 but I wouldn't do 10 I wouldn't leave them in it during the day and there not in a coop with poop everywhere like my wood one that they have the option to go in and all 5 every night go in the omlet

I looked it up. This cube is close to $900. When you could’ve spent $100 more and got a bigger prefab. Or spent less, like we did, and build it. Although you may think they have enough room, 16 sq ft is not big enough for 5 hens. What if you have a storm or hurricane, and they need to stay inside the coop? The chickens may become aggressive to one another because their stuck in this small coop.

 

[Imataken]

Well like I said they have the option to go into the other coop which they haven't done since we added the omlet I'm not going to force them my girls are happy and healthy each give a wonderful egg everyday and are very sweet

 

[Imataken]

I looked it up. This cube is close to $900. When you could’ve spent $100 more and got a bigger prefab. Or spent less, like we did, and build it. Although you may think they have enough room, 16 sq ft is not big enough for 5 hens. What if you have a storm or hurricane, and they need to stay inside the coop? The chickens may become aggressive to one another because their stuck in this small coop.

Actually it's was 1097.00 and we felt it was better for our needs and would be better for our girls there not in a coop sleeping with the poop it drops right into the dropping tray it stayed cooler in the heat wave then the wood coop we have we had a thermometer in each I clean it every other day which take me couple of minutes where the wood one was very hard for me to keep clean and hard to keep bugs out of they have the omlet with the 6ft omlet run connected to a 10 by 20 ft run with 2 other houses they can use and tons of places for them to perch on and also get to free roam couple days a week on 3 acres they choose to tuck themselves in every night at 745pm in the omlet they are happy and safe and as with all of our animals friends we want them to live wonderful happy lives so I won't be forcing them to sleep anywhere as long as where they choose to sleep play hangout is safe and clean it's OK with us