Coop Questions

[CadenceRose]

Hi all, I'm super new to chickens. I am looking to start a small backyard flock of 2-4 hens. I got a great buy on a small coop on clearance. The whole unit measures 75.5in long, 21in wide and 48in high.
My city ordinance requires 4sq feet of floor space per chicken in an enclosed and covered coop. I don't understand if that includes the mesh area underneath, which is covered, or if that only means the little house part. Or if the measurements of the house and the enclosure could be added together for an overall square footage, which would be greater than the 75.5X22 footprint of the unit.
In your opinions, is this a coop large enough for 2-4 hens based on the 4sq ft rule? The hens will also have lots of daily access to my large fenced backyard, but I want to make sure I comply with the city ordinance when choosing how many hens to get.
Thanks so much!

 

[Rob Tof]

I was told you shouldn't keep less then 3 chickens. I have seen this coop it's real small. I'm sure if your freeranging it would be ok short term. These coops are not made great very cheaply made.

 

[rosemarythyme]

On a unit like this, the coop is technically the enclosed part. That part isn't sufficient for 4 sq ft per chicken. You can try and alter the unit to make the entire thing work as a coop however by deconstructing the inside so that it's one open, contained unit.

My guess is your city simply considers any enclosure of 4 sq ft or more to be "the coop" but if you can post the ordinance in question maybe we can double check that. Their intent might also be that they expect the birds to be kept in an enclosure at all times, which isn't unheard of, and if that is the case you would also need a run of sufficient size to comply.

 

[CadenceRose]

Below is a copy/paste of the ordinance in question. Rosemarythyme, I believe you may be right about interpreting the entire unit as a "coop". Now that you mention it, it does seem to read that way. The "fenced enclosure" part, I interpreted as appropriate that they be confined to my fenced backyard which is quite large. Or do I actually need to fence off a separate area for them?
Ultimately, I will contact the city for additional clarification, I want to be 100% in compliance to protect myself and my hens. But I would like to better understand the requirements so I have a clue BEFORE turning in the application!

1. The hens shall be provided with a covered enclosure and must be kept in the covered enclosure or a fenced enclosure at all times. Such covered enclosure or coop shall contain at least four square feet of floor area per hen, and the fenced enclosure shall provide at least ten square feet of open area per hen; no coop shall exceed 120 square feet of floor area or exceed 12 feet in height.

 

[tigger19687]

I bought that same one (but a bit bigger ) and returned it because it is BUILT LIKE CRAP
Not sure where you live but it will not last in New England area.
Might be good if you put wheels on it and use it like a temp portable coop for some spring summer field time.

 

[kitkat5505]

That is definitely not big enough for 4 hens. I have a similar coop that I keep 1 little bunny in. I definitely wouldn't keep more than 1 full grown hen in it. And it doesn't meet your city requirements. It also sounds like they require them to be in the coop/run area at all times. We aren't allowed to free-range where I live too and the ordinance is worded about the same.

 

[CadenceRose]

Thanks for the input! I was able to contact someone from the City today to help clarify some of the rules. I think my plan will be to build a large open air pen which will enclose the pre-fab coop and have an additional covered area and laying boxes along one side. This would give the hens the freedom to choose inside or outside, and offer a cozy little "house" for inclement weather.

 

[kitkat5505]

What are your winters like? If they are really cold and snowy your chickens will spend more time holed up in the coop and that little space will not be big enough for them to remain healthy and happy for long periods of time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So the ordinance to me does read as 4 sq ft per hen inside the coop plus 10 sq ft per hen outside of coop but in an enclosure (your existing fence would probably not count, as the intent is the chickens should be contained in such a way that they cannot leave the yard).

Like I said you could possible fix up the little coop/run to work for the time being by removing some of the inside walls, running a roost lengthwise (depends on number of chickens, you want 12" ideally of roost per bird), and paneling up one or two sides of the wire outer walls as needed to provide protection from wind and rain. Then put the entire unit inside a 10x10 chain link dog kennel (or a similar sort of enclosure), add some hardware cloth around the lower few feet and apron it out to stop digging predators, and that should meet the requirements plus provide enough room for 3 standard sized birds inside the coop.

The coop should hold up long enough to give you time to decide on how you want to upgrade later on. The run should be usable past that, and is big enough to allow for a few extra birds in the future.

 

[Rob Tof]

View attachment 1089068 Hi all, I'm super new to chickens. I am looking to start a small backyard flock of 2-4 hens. I got a great buy on a small coop on clearance. The whole unit measures 75.5in long, 21in wide and 48in high.
My city ordinance requires 4sq feet of floor space per chicken in an enclosed and covered coop. I don't understand if that includes the mesh area underneath, which is covered, or if that only means the little house part. Or if the measurements of the house and the enclosure could be added together for an overall square footage, which would be greater than the 75.5X22 footprint of the unit.
In your opinions, is this a coop large enough for 2-4 hens based on the 4sq ft rule? The hens will also have lots of daily access to my large fenced backyard, but I want to make sure I comply with the city ordinance when choosing how many hens to get.
Thanks so much!

Wouldn't it just be easier to go to the town building dept and ask for clarification. When ever I build any thing my town helps me understand the building codes. I want to be in compliance