Can a coop have too much space?

[tperry13]

We are renovating a shed that is preexisting in our yard to be our coop. It is an 8x8 with about 8 feet of vertical space with a gable roof. We currently have 4 chickens. We would want to get 2 more max. Is 64 sq feet too much for winter for 6 chickens? We live in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. The lows are typically in the 20s with the few days in the teens. Would the chickens get too cold in that much space? We will also have a run and option to free range the garden.

 

[NatJ]

Extra space should be fine.

As long as they can sit on a roost, and the air is still enough that it does not blow their feathers around, they should be warm enough.

You still want some air movement, even in the coldest part of the winter, but you want it to be gentle. (They ruffle up their feathers to trap warm air next to their skin, and a strong wind would interfere with that.)

 

[RojoMarz]

Extra space also comes in handy during the snow days, when chickens are stuck inside the coop.

 

[Poodlemum]

We’re up in Cache Valley and have a shed coop as well. Just a fewwwww more chickens though Even during the whole winter, we keep the doors open and haven’t had an issue. The low is generally 4° in the coop and no issues with frostbite or anything. As long as there’s no drafts, it shouldn’t be an issue!

 

[YarrowFarms]

We have an 8x8 shed turned coop too. We also started with 6 chickens. As of today I have +/- 40 chickens and 12 ducks.
Good luck not filling your coop. Chicken math is hard to escape!

 

[Happy hen lover]

More space is always better. Chickens do fine in cold as they are wearing down parkas. And if "cooped up" not an issue in a bigger space.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

We are in the Salt Lake valley and my neighbors' coop is pretty big though not a shed. One side is almost completely open and the roosts are level with it. They built a covered run and only had five birds. She was worried they would be cold in the winter and even closed part of it off one year but it turned out not to be necessary. They were perfectly fine even with the open side right across from the roost so I think you will be fine

 

[tperry13]

Thanks everyone! I think we will be going forward with the renovation and trying to not get too many chickens to fill the space in the meantime!

 

[gtaus]

Is 64 sq feet too much for winter for 6 chickens?

In a word, no. Most people would want a larger coop for their birds. If you have more space than you need, section off part of the shed to use for storage of feed and other poultry supplies.

BTW, if you use deep bedding in your shed conversion coop, you would probably be able to go a year or longer between cleanouts with only 6 chickens.

 

[rosemarythyme]

In a word, no. Most people would want a larger coop for their birds. If you have more space than you need, section off part of the shed to use for storage of feed and other poultry supplies.

BTW, if you use deep bedding in your shed conversion coop, you would probably be able to go a year or longer between cleanouts with only 6 chickens.

x2. Most folks would love to have that excess space to use for things like storage, or an isolation cage/brooder/integration pen.

And yes you could possibly extend out the need for cleanouts with the excess space. I have 10 birds in a 60 sq ft coop, and just did my once-a-year cleanout this week.