Coop Questions

[countrygirl911]

Hi i have a few questions about my new coop that we just got thru building

1: the coop is a 10ft by 8 ft and the run is 16ft by 16 ft how many beautiful chickens can i fit inside comfortably?

2: I have 10 chickens right now and look to expand to 6 or 10 if my coop will hold that many if not then later on i will build a second coop and both filled with beautiful chickens. How many next boxes will I need and how far off the ground?

3: last question what is the best way to built roosts for my birds how much space do each bird need on a roost and how far off the ground?

I really appreciate any help

 

[LittleFeat]

From what I understand it's 4 sq. ft per bird in the coop and 10 sq ft per bird in the run. You have 80 sq ft coop and 256 sq ft of run so I'd say you'd be ok with 20 chickens.

I've read 12" between roosts and also 12" from the wall to keep the poop from falling and running down the wall. I've seen a little bit of everything for roosts but I also think most consensus is that a 2 x 4 with the wide side flat is the best for the roosts. This way their toes don't hang off and they cover them with their bodies to prevent frostbite in the winter. I've also read to have about 1 foot of roost per bird.

I'm not sure how high off the ground other than I understand they should be higher than the nest boxes to keep them from roosting on top of them. If they are high, they will need access to "stair-step" up to the highest and so the larger heavier breeds don't have to shock their legs so much jumping down.

I also don't know about a good number of nest boxes for that many hens. I had 5 pullets and 2 nesting boxes. I would have two in use at the same time and it did seem to be a good number but I think often they all will choose to use the same one or two.

I'm sure others will give you ideas too and it also differs if you are getting bantams.

Good luck and have fun with your beautiful chickens!! Be sure to keep us updated and we LOVE pictures!!

 

[teach1rusl]

I go by LittleFeats measurements as a minimum. If you're really looking at comfort, I would give them more than that, so I would go with the lesser number if you are adding birds, especially if you're in an area that deals with winter weather. Ditto on the other comments LF made

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Read this several times. In my opinion it is really really really TRUE.

More space is always better. More *chickens*, per unit space, is NOT.

Pat