Coop construction

[rosemarythyme]

I wouldn't get too hung up on SF per bird, etc. Those are all guidelines and what they "need" vs what they would "like" vs what is "BYC politically chicken correct" are very different things.

Has nothing to do with being "correct" - I don't see a way to physically get enough roosts in there to fit 8 birds, especially with nest boxes internal as well.

Whoever made the plans only accounted for 1 sq ft per bird (being generous as the nests aren't usable floor space), which is factory farm conditions, and not something that I would advocate for a backyard flock.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Has nothing to do with being "correct" - I don't see a way to physically get enough roosts in there to fit 8 birds, especially with nest boxes internal as well.

Whoever made the plans only accounted for 1 sq ft per bird (being generous as the nests aren't usable floor space), which is factory farm conditions, and not something that I would advocate for a backyard flock.

I agree with you on that. I suggested 4 birds is the right number, not 8. I think hey could get 6 in there though as long as they were not in the coop for long periods.

The issue I have with the square foot calculation is it takes into account floor space, not volume. This coop is tall and thus birds can go up and down, not just across a flat floor.

Honestly, it really needs to be a cubic foot calculation. For instance, on his coop it is 2x4 but really it is 3 feet tall. So square feet only is 8- but cubic feet is 8x3 = 24.

If his coop was 1 foot tall, ok yeah that's just 8 cubic feet and that's really small- but it's not.

My coop for instance is just 7x9 but it is 7 feet tall. That's 63 SF so in theory I should have 21 chickens. I have 30 in there now and it looks like a ghost town they have so much extra space.

My only point is to just blindly say "a coop is 2-3 SF per bird" is really short-sighted. It's a good "rule of thumb" but by no means a rule.

 

[DobieLover]

I agree with you on that. I suggested 4 birds is the right number, not 8. I think hey could get 6 in there though as long as they were not in the coop for long periods.

The issue I have with the square foot calculation is it takes into account floor space, not volume. This coop is tall and thus birds can go up and down, not just across a flat floor.

Honestly, it really needs to be a cubic foot calculation. For instance, on his coop it is 2x4 but really it is 3 feet tall. So square feet only is 8- but cubic feet is 8x3 = 24.

If his coop was 1 foot tall, ok yeah that's just 8 cubic feet and that's really small- but it's not.

My coop for instance is just 7x9 but it is 7 feet tall. That's 63 SF so in theory I should have 21 chickens. I have 30 in there now and it looks like a ghost town they have so much extra space.

My only point is to just blindly say "a coop is 2-3 SF per bird" is really short-sighted. It's a good "rule of thumb" but by no means a rule.

However, the vast majority of people who attempt to keep birds in such tight quarters start their first posts here with "Is Heat Stroke a Real Thing with Chickens?" and show pictures of their dead birds. Or "Why does Buffy keep ripping the scalp off Trudy"? Well, because she is crazy bored in her teeny tiny coop and run and taking it out on any living creature around her.

More space is ALWAYS better. No living creature wants to be stuffed into something they can barely move around in. And then we can start talking about landing space, sanitation issues, excess moisture, etc.

 

[Rogerson253]

I will only be getting 4 birds, don't want to be inhumane.

 

[Folly's place]

Consider having this as more of a nest box area, open to the 'run' all the time, and roof your run as coop. another problem that will crop up here is that 4' is too narrow for these birds socially. It won't be easy for birds to pass each other in that narrow space, even if it's very long. It's not just sq. ft. that matter, it's also their ability to have 'social distance' from each other,
You are building a very nice solid structure that's just way too small. Better to fix it now, not later.
Mary

 

[aart]

The issue I have with the square foot calculation is it takes into account floor space, not volume. This coop is tall and thus birds can go up and down, not just across a flat floor.

Volume is not the thing to go by.
Sure this coop is tall, which is great for ventilation.
But when they go to fly down from the roosts, I see crashes coming.
Height must be taken into account in relation to floor space.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Volume is not the thing to go by.
Sure this coop is tall, which is great for ventilation.
But when they go to fly down from the roosts, I see crashes coming.
Height must be taken into account in relation to floor space.

I think you should come up with a new space calculator. You are surely qualified!

 

[aart]

I think you should come up with a new space calculator. You are surely qualified!

Too many variables.
Why the 4/10 'rule' should be taken as a minimum and with many grains of salt.

 

[Rogerson253]

Consider having this as more of a nest box area, open to the 'run' all the time, and roof your run as coop. another problem that will crop up here is that 4' is too narrow for these birds socially. It won't be easy for birds to pass each other in that narrow space, even if it's very long. It's not just sq. ft. that matter, it's also their ability to have 'social distance' from each other,
You are building a very nice solid structure that's just way too small. Better to fix it now, not later.
Mary

As you can see from the overhead picture the space I am trying to use for the chickens is about 4.5' wide and about 20+' long. It is located to the right of the garage. It gets some sun and plenty of shade. I plan on completely enclosing the area with 1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth, adding additional sun and rain protection and some other roosts.

Another newbie question, can the structure I just built be used for brooding the chicks until its time to move them outside? The structure will be portable.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Another newbie question, can the structure I just built be used for brooding the chicks until its time to move them outside? The structure will be portable.

Absolutely. Or if you can run power outside, just brood them outside.