Coop Design Advice Needed Please!

[KristinosPeeps]

I have a design plan for a 4'x 6' chicken coop with 10 nesting boxes and two roosting bars. (this does not include the run). Do you all think this is enough room for 10-12 hens? (not bantams). Input will be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Pyxis]

Each chicken should be allotted at least four square feet of space in the coop, so if you wanted to keep 12 birds, you would need to double the size of the coop you are planning. Also, you only need one nesting box for each 3 to 4 hens you have, so if you were planning all 12 birds to be hens, 3 or 4 nesting boxes would be plenty. They always pick a favorite and fight over it anyway

 

[Judy]

Actually, no. 6"x8*' for the hens plus room for food, water and nests would be your minimum, according the the usual rule fo thumb here, which is 4 sq ft per hen in the coop and 10 sa ft per hen in the run. Now, please understand that this is considered the minimum to prevent serious pecking, feather picking, and even cannibaism. Plus it is always true that the more sace they have, the more likely they are to be content. I would build an 8x8 coop -- which because of lumber sizes will cost little more than 6x8 would. And a 3x6 would waste a fair amount of lumber.

Linked below is a great article about space. In addition, pease check out the first two links in my signature line, which are well known articles here for people in cold climates; they were written by a Canadian.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

Good luck!

 

[Judy]

Pyxis is quite right about the nests -- I forgot to say that.

 

[KristinosPeeps]

Thank you Pyxis and Judy! That helps. I didn't buy any supplies yet or start building so I'm taking your advice. I'm clearly new to having backyard chickens. Thanks again!
I also didn't order chicks yet..but there will be a total of 9. Not that it changes much of my plans.

 

[TheRambler]

4sqft per bird is a good number, but the international standard is 2sqft. The american standard/ 4 sqft includes nesting room, so actual coop space is really 2-3. More important than the actual floor sqft is the roosting space, and outdoor run space. Run should be around 10sqft per bird and roost should be 8-12 inches per bird.

 

[dheltzel]

Remember, if you crowd them (and even 4 sq ft per birds is a bit crowded, IMO), you will need to clean the coop a lot more often and it will be a bigger job when you do. You will regret not getting a larger coop, probably every day, but definitely every week, when you have to clean it out.

 

[WindyHillFarm]

Looks like you got the advice you need, so I'll just say "Good luck!" Have fun building your coop and raising your chicks. I am a big believer in giving them lots of room, like Judy says it really helps keep them happy and prevents problems.

 

[KristinosPeeps]

Thank you everyone!