Coop size, floor footage question

[denco5]

I have a very nice 7 X 8 coop, it is a walk in type with it being 7 feet tall in the front and slopes down to 6 feet. It is 7 feet deep and 8 feet wide. Currently I have 12 EE that are using the coop(10 weeks old). I have aquired two more EE and two silkies that are 3 weeks old. As soon as I can I will have them all in the coop tegether, intergration will be a slow process I assume.

My question is, if I add a 4 X 7 addition to the side of the coop that is only 4 feet high will this extra floor footage be what they need to be happy and not crowded? Does the height of the addition matter? They all can roost in the taller portion but roam around in the added floor space right? They all will have a large run to roam in during the daytime.

 

[midget_farms]

The additional floor space will be fine - the birds won't care what height they have.

The need for floor space is really critical in the winter when they are snowed in. Even if they are not snowed in - they will think they are & spend weeks inside the coop refusing to go out.

This is when crowding is bad & they start to pick each other apart. The greater the floor space the better - so they cann get away from each other.

Plus - when it gets really cold - throw in a couple of whole cabbages. They will peck & play with them all week & not pick on each other so much.

 

[patandchickens]

I think you're real smart to be planning this (and to be doing it BEFORE problems develop, rather than trying to add onto the coop in February

)

"Enough" is not really an answerable question -- the bottom line is, the more space you give them, the better they'll behave. 4x7 is definitely enough extra space to be worthwhile (it will represent a 50% increase in coop floor area). 4' high seems reasonable -- you won't be able to walk into there to clean or catch chickens or retrieve eggs, but since it will only be 4' deep you will not have to be TOO much of a contortionist nor get your knees to mucked up

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[denco5]

Thanks for the advice!