Chicken coops/runs for the beginner.

[Mehpenn]

Alright... lay it on me.
What is acceptable as a chicken coop? How large of an area would two-three hens needs?

My grandpa used dog boxes remodeled to resemble a row style barn with stalls. He kept them elevated about two feet off the ground with ramps leading into each stall. Each stall was about two feet square, with a half wall seperating each and a hinged back to make it easily accesible to retrieve eggs without having to go into the pen. The opening of each stall was about a foot, large enough for the hens to fit through.
Would that be sufficient?

We're only planning on two to three hens, would a 6 x 10 area be enough for them? It'll be in a wooded/shaded area with little grass, lots of shade, next to our barn... I think.

 

[chickendude]

For best living conditions for a large breed chicken I go with 4-5 sq feet of coop space ( not including the nest boxes) and you should have 10 sq feet of run space per bird. A very good suggestion is to build your coop as large as you can. I will guarantee you will get addicted and add to your flock. So plan for the future not just today.

 

[Mehpenn]

My grandpa had very small game hens, so the two feet area would have been lots of room for them.... I 'm not sure what kind of hens we'll be getting...... guess the size of the coop will depend on how large the hens will be.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Plan for more. If they have more room, you'll have to clean less during the bad weather when it's harder, but, I doubt you can stop at only 2, they seem to multiply.

I started with wanting 8, ordered 20, got 27, thinned to 17, got 7 comming in a few days, getting ....more.....soon......can't......stop......the......madness......... "Hunny! Time to build more coop!"
My Hunny---

 

[chickendude]