Chicken Coop Size

[Capto Veritas]

The coop size should not include the nests.
Just eyeballing it, I'd say the coop is 36 x 24 to 30".


Please add that too your profile.
Being in such a hot climate, ventilation is even more important.

Well, I live in North Georgia. In a suburban area.

 

[Capto Veritas]

I know from experience those prefab coops are terrible and way too small! I started off with one for 3 chickens and they were crammed in there, and for what they cost(spent over $400 on mine) you could build something way nicer

Well, here is another view of my chicken coop from the inside. By the way, I am only getting Bantam chickens.

 

[3KillerBs]

Well, here is another view of my chicken coop from the inside. By the way, I am only getting Bantam chickens.View attachment 2654752View attachment 2654754

Even bantams will need a LOT more ventilation, especially here in the Steamy Southeast.
Heat and ammonia both rise so the ventilation is best provided at the level of the roof peak.

Rather than focusing on the square footage of the ventilation I apply this simple test:

On a warm, sunny day put your head and shoulders into the coop. If it's hotter inside than out you need more ventilation.

 

[aart]

Well, I live in North Georgia

Right, if you add it to your profile it will show up under your avatar.
Here is how to do that:

 

[Capto Veritas]

Even bantams will need a LOT more ventilation, especially here in the Steamy Southeast.
Heat and ammonia both rise so the ventilation is best provided at the level of the roof peak.

Rather than focusing on the square footage of the ventilation I apply this simple test:

On a warm, sunny day put your head and shoulders into the coop. If it's hotter inside than out you need more ventilation.

Okay! Thank you!

 

[Wyndsong]

I'm afraid not. For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

4 square feet in the coop,​

10 square feet in the run,​

1 linear foot of roost,​

And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.​

That means that for a flock of three you need at least 12 square feet in the coop -- 3'x4' -- and 30 square feet in the run -- 4'x8' or 5'x6' -- with 3 linear feet of roost (above the level of the nest boxes), and 3 square feet of ventilation.

A lot of people have converted their prefab coop-and-run-combinations as @MissE suggested. Here's a thread detailing one of these projects: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

I have a similar coop, but we have it in our fenced backyard. Would this coop be alright if they mostly were outside in the fenced area rather than just the run? Basically the plan was for us to have two chickens and they'd spend most of their awake time out in the open yard and just their sleep time in the run/coop.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have a similar coop, but we have it in our fenced backyard. Would this coop be alright if they mostly were outside in the fenced area rather than just the run? Basically the plan was for us to have two chickens and they'd spend most of their awake time out in the open yard and just their sleep time in the run/coop.

That's a definite maybe.

Sometimes an undersized coop and a huge run works. Sometimes it doesn't.

It puts a lot of constraints on you to ALWAYS make sure you're opening the coop at the crack of dawn.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm not going to pile on - OP has already received great advice.

@Wyndsong normally someone might discourage thread hijacking (which I unconsciously do all the damned time), but short answer is that you have a mild winter climate, leave all the openings open, and that's tolerable for two birds to sleep in overnight except when you get terrible weather (the wet with high winds type, not cold. Fully feathered well adjusted birds can easily take MUCH colder temps than TX will ever see, as long as they are protected from drafts and their roost is well ventilated.

Among all the other problems with that coop design is the fact that the limited ventilation it does provide also virtually guarantees drafts on the birds.

Look to open air coop designs in your climate as you consider the next stage in your chicken journey. OP should do the same.

 

[Capto Veritas]

I have a similar coop, but we have it in our fenced backyard. Would this coop be alright if they mostly were outside in the fenced area rather than just the run? Basically the plan was for us to have two chickens and they'd spend most of their awake time out in the open yard and just their sleep time in the run/coop.

Same. I just have 2 chickens now. An RIR and a Black Australorp.

 

[Capto Veritas]

I'm not going to pile on - OP has already received great advice.

@Wyndsong normally someone might discourage thread hijacking (which I unconsciously do all the damned time), but short answer is that you have a mild winter climate, leave all the openings open, and that's tolerable for two birds to sleep in overnight except when you get terrible weather (the wet with high winds type, not cold. Fully feathered well adjusted birds can easily take MUCH colder temps than TX will ever see, as long as they are protected from drafts and their roost is well ventilated.

Among all the other problems with that coop design is the fact that the limited ventilation it does provide also virtually guarantees drafts on the birds.

Look to open air coop designs in your climate as you consider the next stage in your chicken journey. OP should do the same.

My coop is very ventilated, and I have 2 cold hardy breeds. An RIR and a Black Australorp.