Buff orpington coop size

[Cam148]

I've been wondering if anyone could help me with the dimensions I need for three buff orpingtons.

You see I've really wanted them for a while now and no matter where I look I can't seem to find the measurements for them, so if anyone could help me it'd be much appreciated

Thank you

 

[paneubert]

Standard advice is 4 square feet per bird in the coop and more than that in the run. Some folks go with a suggestion of about 10 square feet per chicken in the run.

 

[Cam148]

Standard advice is 4 square feet per bird in the coop and more than that in the run. Some folks go with a suggestion of about 10 square feet per chicken in the run.

So what would you say the length and width should be as I'm helpless when it comes to dimensions

 

[paneubert]

For three birds? It needs to be a square or rectangle that is at least 12 square feet in size. So that would be something like 3 feet by 4 feet. Or 4 by 4 if you want to give them a bit more space. Making it narrow makes it harder to use and harder to design, but if needed you could do something like 2 by 6 feet, etc...

That is all for the coop. For the run it is the same math. 3 birds means 30 square feet. So that would be 3 by 10, or 4 by 8 or 5 by 6, etc... At a minimum.

 

[mesalina87]

The run roughly 10x6. Will give you 60 square feet. A run of 10x5 will give you 50. You need at least 30square. Best to have a little too much than not enough.


And welcome to flock of crazy chicken people!

 

[ChickNanny13]

My Chicken House is 8W x 12L x 7H ... 8 x 12 = 96 divided by 14sq ft per bird = 6.8 chickens Just my way of figuring it out. However the bigger the better .... 4sqft for coop & 10sq ft for run per bird is JUST a minimum and Chicken Math is a doer in.

I've found that 5 Wyandottes are comfortable but 4BO the max out my comfort level for them. Anymore would be crowded ... The picture below is the back half, one's in the nest box. Haven't had any issues with bullying nor arguments.

 

[Aunt Angus]

@paneubert gave you the standard dimensions. Those work very well to start with. I always recommend as much run space as is possible, though.

I think you will find that you will need to adjust your set up after you see how everything works once you get your birds situated. I started with 4 pullets in a 32 sq ft coop and a 113 sq ft run. I ended up with 8 chickens (they're addictive). Because I let mine run around my fenced yard most of the time, I could have gone with a smaller coop, tbh. I also don't ever need to keep mine in the coop for any extended period of time because my climate is forgiving. But I feel my run is kinda small if I have to pen them up for whatever reason. But I never could have figured that out before everything was built. I hope that makes sense - LOL!

I guess what I'm trying to say is start with the aformentioned dimensions, but be prepared to make changes.

 

[Alaskan]

What climate are you in?

If you have cold snowy winters I recommend a way bigger coop.

If you are usually super hot I would recommend a much more open structure with lots of shade.

 

[gtaus]

I've been wondering if anyone could help me with the dimensions I need for three buff orpingtons.

First of all, welcome to the BYC forums. As stated, the minimum coop space recommended is 4 square feet per bird, so a 3 foot X 4 foot coop would be the minimum size. I live in northern Minnesota and expect the chickens to be spending lots of time in the coop during the winter, so I have almost doubled the minimum coop size for my birds.

Everyone here on BYC forums will probably tell you to make your coop and run as large as possible, for the physical and mental health of the chickens. Also, many people end up getting more chickens over time and outgrow their small coops. I tend to agree with that thought.

Having said that, there is nothing wrong in starting out small and finding out if caring for chickens is something you want to do long term. Also, if you decide to keep chickens for a long term, you will probably learn more about yourself and your chickens so the next coop design will be a better fit for you and your flock. A small coop can always be converted to a chick brooder if you get a larger coop in the future.

Hope to hear more from you in the future.

 

[gtaus]

However the bigger the better .... 4sqft for coop & 10sq ft for run per bird is JUST a minimum and Chicken Math is a doer in.

Love the pic. Although I totally agree with your statement "the bigger the better", I will add that if you live in a northern climate with lots of snowfall, you also have to consider the cost of the coop build to withstand the weight of the winter snow on the roof. The bigger the coop the more you have to consider the weight bearing load of the roof and that also complicates the build as you expand in size. I live in northern Minnesota and just built my first coop. One of my main concerns was making the coop strong enough to carry a heavy snow load in the winter. I don't imagine snow load is a concern for you in Hawaii, but I don't know where the OP is located and just want to throw out my word of caution on the "the bigger is better" concept.