Chicken coop accommodations for 8 chickens

[Mary1962]

Hi, I was wondering about my coop size for 7 chickens .
I bought 3 chickens 8months ago than
2 chickens 1 month later,
than another 2 1 month later .
We have them in 2 coups beside each other.
They youngest 2 are in the
Small coop from tractor supply . The other 5 are in the Large coop which we built . According to the coop plans , the Large coop is appropriate for 8 chickens .
The Large coop is 12 x 4 ft With 2 roost bats , hen boxes . According to the Large Coop plans it should accommodate 8 chickens 4 ft space .
We would like to combine all the chickens in 1 coop since the large coop has an automatic door that opens .

Also during the day they have a large fenced in free range area
I am concerned will 7 chickens be too tight ?
I don’t want anyone to be bullied?
Please help
Thank you

 

[Percheron chick]

4' is rather narrow but you have plenty of space for 8-10 hens. Pictures and location always help too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum from Louisiana, glad you joined.

I'd also like to know your general location so we know your climate. That can have a big impact on how much room you need in a coop, especially if you have a rough winter.

How long have they been ranging together in that fenced area? Do they mingle during the day or do they stay separated? Are any of them laying? I'm encouraged by what I think is going on but would like more details.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile we can give better-targeted advice, especially when it comes to housing.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

8 hens

• 32 square feet in the coop. 4'x8' is approaching the limits for a non-walk-in coop even with the access door in the middle. 6'x6' should be walk-in because even the tallest chicken-keeper won't be able to reach the far wall.
• 8 feet of roost
• 80 square feet in the run. 8'x10' is a nice looking number but, remembering the common dimensions of lumber, a roomier 8'x12' is actually easier to build. 6'x14' looks good on paper but would require a lot of weird cuts.
• 8 square feet of ventilation.
• 2-3 nest boxes.

These are *guidelines*, not hard and fast rules. There are several things that can affect housing needs, including climate and whether or not they have access to a generous run for all daylight hours.

Photos of your coops and run would be helpful.

 

[Mary1962]

Hi, welcome to the forum from Louisiana, glad you joined.

I'd also like to know your general location so we know your climate. That can have a big impact on how much room you need in a coop, especially if you have a rough winter.

How long have they been ranging together in that fenced area? Do they mingle during the day or do they stay separated? Are any of them laying? I'm encouraged by what I think is going on but would like more details.

The hens sleep in a hen house upstairs 4x4 ft with several roost bars and have a run downstairs 4x12. They free range all day together . 6 of the 7 hens are laying as we live in sunny North Florida.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you put North Florida in your profile it will always show up. Knowing your location makes a big difference here. It often does.

I think you have a small 4x4 elevated closed in area with a fenced 4x12 "run". They have a large fenced area they free range in during the day. If you were somewhere with harsh winters that 4x4 area would be the "coop" people use for their square feet calculation. In North Florida your chickens should have access outside that 4x4 area every day of the year. Do you consider that 4x12 area predator safe? If you do, you can leave the door to the 4x4 area open 24/7 and consider the entire 4x12 area and the 4x4 area the "coop". You plan to have an automatic door to let them out early so they will not be locked in that 4x12 area for long periods of time. As long as you can do that you meet the size requirements. If you need to leave them locked in that 4x12 area for days on end you may be tight but you will probably be OK. Say you need to retrain them to lay in the nests instead of laying in a hidden nest or a predator starts killing them and you need to lock them up until you deal with the predator. Some people go for years without problems like that but they can show up at any time.

At least one of the 6-month-olds is laying. When they start laying is usually when they are accepted into the main flock by the older girls. They free range together all day. You have two 4' long roosts in that 4x4 area which should be adequate for sleeping. The two nests should be enough for 7 hens.

You need to train the two young ones to put themselves to bed with the big girls. There are a couple of different ways you can try that, I'm not sure which is better. In either case I'd wait until dark and move the young ones in with the older girls. My question is whether I'd just put them in the 4x12 area or put them in that 4x4 area. Probably the 4x4 area after it is dark enough the older ones won't attack the younger until the morning, if they attack at all. With the door to that 4x4 open, when they wake up the young ones can escape to the 4x12 area if they need to.

I would remove the smaller coop or lock it up so they cannot reenter it. Sometimes when I do something similar they immediately start putting themselves to bed in the new coop but sometimes they return to the old area to sleep. I wait until dark when they are easy to catch and put them in the new coop. If I'm consistent and do that every night they eventually get the message. When I'm doing this I don't care where they sleep as long as it is not in the nests and is somewhere predator safe. They will eventually figure out sleeping on the roost with the others.

Good luck with it, I think you are in a good place.