Coop Dimension Questions

[wesley m]

I am building a coop for my chickens. Basicall I am building a hen house that is elevated 2 ft off the ground by useing stilts or legs. There will be a ramp that goes down into their run (which is about 297 square feet). They will really only be in the coop at night time because my run is in no way predator proof, so I lock them in at night and leave them out during the day. Since they will only be in there at night or to lay, do I still need to have the 4 square feet per chicken inside the hen house? I will have about 8-10 chickens. I was planning the coop to be 8'Lx3'Wx4'T. I could add another foot to the width but at this point it is taking up a lot of space in my back yard. Could I get away with the 3' width?

 

[Irishhenman]

If your climate is mild you will be fine with 1.5-2 sq feet per bird but if your winters are cold and snowy and you get a lot of storms you do need 3-4 sq feet per bird

 

[wesley m]

I live in st. George, Utah. Winters average 17 degrees at the lowest, summers however get up to 110(highest).