Coop measurement snafu

[Dsotto]

Hey there!

Working on our first coop! The research I had done was 3-4 sq ft inside, cool. Built a 5'x3' coop with built in nesting boxes. That math works for 5 small birds (3 EEs, 1 Olive Egger, 1 polish). Cool.

Then I read on here the nesting boxes can't be counted in the SQ footage. That wasn't mentioned in my book. Oops. That brings us down to 12 sq ft and a 5'x5.5' run where they will be free ranging in our 75'x50' backyard over 50% of the time (when someone is home and my husband is remote so we're here almost all the time. I'm just accounting for weekend trips or anything.) We live in North Texas so they won't be cooped up in the winter.

I'm all about ample space and not wanting to stress anyone out. I have 3, week old EEs right now and am supposed to pick the OE and Polish tomorrow. Should I just cancel that order? I read introducing a Polish later on might be hard because they're so docile. I don't want her to get picked on so I was hoping for them to grow up together.

I'm leaning towards no just because I don't want to do the wrong thing, but also would love some advice from seasoned folks!

Also, I got the pullet shut door on my sister in laws advice. It's so cool.
Here are some pictures of it coming together. (My husband is holding something I painted to cover the control box. There will be a raised U-shaped garden on top and the door opens into it and they will walk down through the garden on their little ramp!

 

[lysmandor]

I'm pretty new to this too, but I think they'll be fine! Especially with the amount of free ranging that they'll be getting. I've even seen some recommendations that you can do 2sqft per bird in the coop - not what I would do, but shows that some birds do just fine with that amount of space. Are you planning on keeping food or water in the coop? That might take up more space. Also, how much roosting space do you have?

 

[FarmersWifeForLife]

I would stick with just the 3 for now and maybe expand the run when you have time/money. I have had 4 at one time in our old coop/run and it about 6x10 and they would get a little nutty when it was yucky and they couldn’t roam the backyard.

 

[DobieLover]

Hey there!

Working on our first coop! The research I had done was 3-4 sq ft inside, cool. Built a 5'x3' coop with built in nesting boxes. That math works for 5 small birds (3 EEs, 1 Olive Egger, 1 polish). Cool.

Then I read on here the nesting boxes can't be counted in the SQ footage. That wasn't mentioned in my book. Oops. That brings us down to 12 sq ft and a 5'x5.5' run where they will be free ranging in our 75'x50' backyard over 50% of the time (when someone is home and my husband is remote so we're here almost all the time. I'm just accounting for weekend trips or anything.) We live in North Texas so they won't be cooped up in the winter.

I'm all about ample space and not wanting to stress anyone out. I have 3, week old EEs right now and am supposed to pick the OE and Polish tomorrow. Should I just cancel that order? I read introducing a Polish later on might be hard because they're so docile. I don't want her to get picked on so I was hoping for them to grow up together.

I'm leaning towards no just because I don't want to do the wrong thing, but also would love some advice from seasoned folks!

Also, I got the pullet shut door on my sister in laws advice. It's so cool.
Here are some pictures of it coming together. (My husband is holding something I painted to cover the control box. There will be a raised U-shaped garden on top and the door opens into it and they will walk down through the garden on their little ramp!

Regardless of the fact that you will let them out, there will come times when you cannot. The run is half the size it should be. Can you double it? Or better yet, triple the size? You would never regret giving them more space.
I would not get the Polish. It isn't so much that they are docile is that they are very different with their head feathers.
If you double the run size and make it totally predator proof (including an apron around the works) you can easily make that space work for 4 LF chickens.

 

[Dsotto]

Regardless of the fact that you will let them out, there will come times when you cannot. The run is half the size it should be. Can you double it? Or better yet, triple the size? You would never regret giving them more space.
I would not get the Polish. It isn't so much that they are docile is that they are very different with their head feathers.
If you double the run size and make it totally predator proof (including an apron around the works) you can easily make that space work for 4 LF chickens.

Okay, I will stick with the three. Literature said 8-10 sq ft per bird and we are 27.5 plus over half time free range so I thought that was okay with 3. It said 4 sq ft if free ranged so I picked 5/6 since they'd be both and are on the smaller side. We could cut the front an expand out but I figured I would just given them the open yard space instead. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[lysmandor]

Definitely go with the advice of those who know more than me and have way more experience!

 

[Dsotto]

An option we've talked about is moving the whole thing 3 feet forward and fencing in the area you can see between the the big fence to the right and our house just to the left and have that be a part of the run. We would just remove one door.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Okay, I will stick with the three. Literature said 8-10 sq ft per bird and we are 27.5 plus over half time free range so I thought that was okay with 3. It said 4 sq ft if free ranged so I picked 5/6 since they'd be both and are on the smaller side. We could cut the front an expand out but I figured I would just given them the open yard space instead. Thanks for the feedback.

I would stick with 3 chickens. I would also expand the run if possible. And I'm not sure if I'm understanding correctly, are you saying your birds are on the small side?because heres my EE. Shes only 8 weeks in this picture. Shes also my biggest chicken. Far from the small side.

 

[Dsotto]

I would stick with 3 chickens. I would also expand the run if possible. And I'm not sure if I'm understanding correctly, are you saying your birds are on the small side?because heres my EE. Shes only 8 weeks in this picture. Shes also my biggest chicken. Far from the small side.

*Sigh* This book is really frustrating me. It says EEs are small birds. 4-5 pounds for females. So many things from this book arent matching to real life and I just don't want to do this wrongs.

 

[Mamatomany123]

*Sigh* This book is really frustrating me. It says EEs are small birds. 4-5 pounds for females. So many things from this book arent matching to real life and I just don't want to do this wrongs.

This is my first time owning chickens so maybe I just got a monster. shes the biggest of my 7 but the absolute biggest baby also. Always crying about something.

I will say though that I do have 2 EEs. The other isnt as big but shes still bigger than my production blues. I wouldnt consider her a small bird either.