Coop and whether to buy or build

[Dandiesandy]

I am wanting to raise about 11 or 12 chickens to start and mixed breeds. My dilemma is whether to buy or build and how big must The Coop and run be an order for me to stand up in the run and do my cleaning without crouching over or bending over too much

 

[tribalacres]

It was this site that taught me a lot of how we are building different coops and pens. Five out there right now, we learned our first lesson they tend to grow faster than you can build and the weather rarely works in your favor. . There are some amazing people who have mastered the art of calculations and they are great at giving specifics. Bigger is better in the spacing world of coops and runs. Welcome and enjoy!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Height depends on your height... I have 6' clearance in the run and over 8' in the coop, which is fine with me, but my hubby doesn't fit fully upright in parts of the run since he's taller than the run fence.

The general minimum size recommendation is 4 sq ft per chicken in coop, 10 in run. That's minimum. You said this is "to start" so you really need to think about what your realistic max numbers will be, and build at least to that minimum, and preferably more than that.