Coop Height--Does it Changes SqFt Requirements?

[rosemarythyme]

I've gotten such a wide range of recommendations...
From your POV, the minimum sqft in a run is 10 sqft per bird, then? How flexible is this number if the birds will be free ranging at least a few hours each day?

You're going to see a wide range of numbers because some people do have chickens in a smaller amount of space without issue (in some cases, you have to consider scaling... a person with 50 birds in a coop that "fits" 30 may have fewer space issues than someone with 5 birds in a coop that "fits" 3, due to the fact that their overall space is proportionally bigger so they have a little more leeway).

The general recommended minimum run space here is 10 sq ft per bird. Personally I feel the minimum is, well, too minimal, because in an ideal run, there's clutter which eats up space, as well as adequate open space for birds to spread out and minimize conflict. But I know in a backyard setting with restrictive ordinances it may be very difficult to provide them much more space. Free range time does help but realistically the birds are still spending the majority of their time in the run - it's not like a dog where if you give it a good long walk it'll tire and relax for the rest of the day.

 

[Acre4Me]

Would the number of chickens appropriate for a 5x5 coop that is 6.5 ft tall be more than the chickens in a 5x5 coop that is 4 ft tall? Ill have elevated roosting bars and nesting boxes.

Or is the amount of floor space the only factor that matters?

4ft tall vs 6 ft tall isn’t a big enough distance to make more space for the chickens. They will be on the floor or on the roosts. In general 10 sqft works well, but less so if the run is narrow. A lower pecking order bird needs room to get away from a higher bird and having a narrow run can exacerbate any problems.

we have more than 10sqft per bird but see issues occasionally. Our run is 10x50, mostly roofed, with an elevated coop, a long access deck with railing and roost bars in the run, so lots of places for the chickens to be at, and not in sight of each other. But, we have males (one older, one younger) in the run and they have their little issues now and again, and the hens/pullets shake up the pecking order now and again. Our coop is on the small side, but it works for the flock. We’ve had some birds that just don’t fit in the flock, so we sell those bc it’s not worth flock harmony to continue to keep a misfit or trouble maker.

have 2 feed and water stations so no one gets bullied away from feed/water.

good luck.

 

[CtyGrlwantsaFrm]

Thanks so much for the great input.

I have 12 chicks, purchased after several people I know told me 3 sqft in the coop and 4-6 sqft in the run were enough per bird. Looks like I have some serious brainstorming to do.

I should be able to modify the coop size to at least 7x7 fairly easily, but I'm now I'm concerned about the run being insufficient. I could make it 12x7, but that's as wide as I can go, I think.

Maybe I could put the coop on a platform so the run could go under the coop, as well...and/or add some chicken tunnels?

You're going to see a wide range of numbers because some people do have chickens in a smaller amount of space without issue (in some cases, you have to consider scaling... a person with 50 birds in a coop that "fits" 30 may have fewer space issues than someone with 5 birds in a coop that "fits" 3, due to the fact that their overall space is proportionally bigger so they have a little more leeway).

The general recommended minimum run space here is 10 sq ft per bird. Personally I feel the minimum is, well, too minimal, because in an ideal run, there's clutter which eats up space, as well as adequate open space for birds to spread out and minimize conflict. But I know in a backyard setting with restrictive ordinances it may be very difficult to provide them much more space. Free range time does help but realistically the birds are still spending the majority of their time in the run - it's not like a dog where if you give it a good long walk it'll tire and relax for the rest of the day.

 

[jreardon1918]

Thanks so much for the great input.

I have 12 chicks, purchased after several people I know told me 3 sqft in the coop and 4-6 sqft in the run were enough per bird. Looks like I have some serious brainstorming to do.

I should be able to modify the coop size to at least 7x7 fairly easily, but I'm now I'm concerned about the run being insufficient. I could make it 12x7, but that's as wide as I can go, I think.

Maybe I could put the coop on a platform so the run could go under the coop, as well...and/or add some chicken tunnels?

Can you send us pictures of the space? That would with creative solutions.
Thanks

 

[CtyGrlwantsaFrm]

4ft tall vs 6 ft tall isn’t a big enough distance to make more space for the chickens. They will be on the floor or on the roosts. In general 10 sqft works well, but less so if the run is narrow. A lower pecking order bird needs room to get away from a higher bird and having a narrow run can exacerbate any problems.

we have more than 10sqft per bird but see issues occasionally. Our run is 10x50, mostly roofed, with an elevated coop, a long access deck with railing and roost bars in the run, so lots of places for the chickens to be at, and not in sight of each other. But, we have males (one older, one younger) in the run and they have their little issues now and again, and the hens/pullets shake up the pecking order now and again. Our coop is on the small side, but it works for the flock. We’ve had some birds that just don’t fit in the flock, so we sell those bc it’s not worth flock harmony to continue to keep a misfit or trouble maker.

have 2 feed and water stations so no one gets bullied away from feed/water.

good luck.

Thanks for the reply!

I was thinking of the increased roost space available at a higher height, versus one of those commercial coops that are like 3.5 feet tall. A 6-7' height should allow more roosting bars, I would imagine. But it seems the builder was WAY off on space recommendations. I thought he was off by a foot per bird, but it seems he was off by 2 ft per bird.

Wow, your run sounds amazing! I would love to have that kind of space available!

 

[CtyGrlwantsaFrm]

Can you send us pictures of the space? That would with creative solutions.
Thanks

Thanks so much for wanting to help!
Pics of my backyard, or the coop plans?

 

[Acre4Me]

Thanks so much for the great input.

I have 12 chicks, purchased after several people I know told me 3 sqft in the coop and 4-6 sqft in the run were enough per bird. Looks like I have some serious brainstorming to do.

I should be able to modify the coop size to at least 7x7 fairly easily, but I'm now I'm concerned about the run being insufficient. I could make it 12x7, but that's as wide as I can go, I think.

Maybe I could put the coop on a platform so the run could go under the coop, as well...and/or add some chicken tunnels?

7x7 is great! Not sure where you are located. If you have a not-so-extreme environment, that is helpful. Extreme can be heat or cold. Chickens deal with cold better than heat.

elevated is great. Our coop is elevated 2.5’ above the ground. It is a walk-in coop, so we have a people access deck with steps. The girls love the shade. But, please note that anyelevation should be high enough for you to access since you might have to retrieve a bird or egg from underneath. Getting the bird is harder than getting the egg! The 2.5’ is ok for us.

here is the access deck. They love that railing!

 

[Acre4Me]

Thanks for the reply!

I was thinking of the increased roost space available at a higher height, versus one of those commercial coops that are like 3.5 feet tall. A 6-7' height should allow more roosting bars, I would imagine. But it seems the builder was WAY off on space recommendations. I thought he was off by a foot per bird, but it seems he was off by 2 ft per bird.

Wow, your run sounds amazing! I would love to have that kind of space available!

Yes, more roosts in higher space, but the birds need to be able to get down from the high roosts. Heavy birds can injure them selves, any bird needs a certain distance in length to safely fly down and land. Also, they can poop on each other depending on roost position. And don’t forget pecking order -they will ALL want the highest roost, so the lower roosts would be used less and the highest one’s fought over.

The run is behind the barn and protected from the west winter winds. A previous owner had put in the 10x50 dog run directly behind the barn. So, we turned it into a chicken run and built an elevated coop!

 

[Folly's place]

All the above advice, and I'll add that you need to consider your comfort too. Unless you are very short, you will be crouching inside coops shorter than seven or eight feet tall inside, and crawling under a raised coop isn't so fun either!
Can you just reconsider that plan and do something else?
Perfection is a Woods coop! Look it up, and there are plans available free, as I understand.
Or, get a garden shed and modify it for ventilation and windows. Both would be larger and walk-in friendly.
Mary

 

[CtyGrlwantsaFrm]

Oh gosh, that's so beautiful!

Good tip about the height being big enough for a person.

We are in Southeast Texas, so heat could be a problem. We have a big shade tree near the place we wanted to put the coop, and planned to have a fan and windows, as well as using heat-reflecting shingles. I almost want to add a little window unit but hubby thinks that is insane.

In light of the hot summers, should we make the coop even bigger?