Coop question

[JayWhit]

I currently have 3 ISA Browns, and 2 barred rock hens. They have a run of 10X20, and a coup that I know is somewhat small (36x42). I'm wanting to build one big enough to hold 5-6 hens. What would be a good size? 6 hens would prob be the most I'll have for a while. Thanks for any input. Been trying to find a simple plan/drawing also.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

36 in by 42 inches? That is small. For 5 or 6 chickens I would make the coop be 5.5 ft by 4.5 feet. In general, make it as big as you can. There is no such thing as too much coop space. Each chicken needs 3 sq feet of coop space. Many prefer more if they get bad winters. For 6 chickens, you would need to do 3x6=18 feet. You need the coop to have at least 18 sq feet of space. If you made it 5.5 feet by 4.5 feet, that would give you almost 25 sq feet of space which would give you and your chickens some wiggle room. I prefer coops that are more square than rectangle, it seems to make it easier to clean and waste less space. Try checking out the coop section of BYC to find some great ideas on how to make the coop. ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

 

[Mud Pie]

For me, the coop design was very important. I wanted it easy to clean, safe from predators (we have raccoons, mink, eagles, ...), and attractive (live in a subdivision). I have 6 buff laced polish hens raised from day old chicks (imported them from McMurray hatchery because I wanted them sexed).

My husband built the coop. It is 6'x8'. One third of the coop has an elevated section with the roost (6x3). It can be closed up with only air vents left open during cold winter nights. There is a window facing outside the pen-- chickens like to look out! It's easy to clean with the large doors and a rake. All doors are double latched (for smart raccoons). The coop is supported on concrete bricks -- gets around some of the zoning bylaws. A thick layer of sand was spread over the entire chicken yard. It rains a lot here in the winter. Since this picture was taken, we have added a 6' fence on the two street sides (we are on a corner lot), and then an additional 4' fence enclosing the chicken yard. Recently we added an electric fence on top of the fence. We have relocated more than 26 raccoons in 2 1/2 months of live trapping! They are moved more than 10kms over two large watercourses to make sure they don't come back!

Many of our neighbours are retired farmers. When they visit us their comments are pretty amusing. One said, "Do those chickens know they are in chicken heaven?" The hens are great pets.


Hope this helps!

 

[Mud Pie]

Also, many designs are too short to walk into. It really helps to have a tall door to walk into the coop for cleaning, feeding, etc., particularly when it is raining. And the hens often lay their eggs in the back corner of the coop!

If you need more details on the coop let me know. The coop is a long term investment. We'll never go back to store bought eggs!

 

[ONSTAD1]

Just "finished" my coop, Studio 54. So far my favorite feature is my "walk-in" run, roof is 6.5' tall. Run is 12'x4' including area under coop and the coop itself is 4'x4' with 2 external next boxes. I have 5 chicks