Coop size for 17 chickens

[Sally PB]

I am in Michigan and they will all have access to a large covered run along with a shed in their fenced in area. Thankfully, we also have many crows and have not had any problems with hawks this far.

I live in Michigan too, and also have a covered run. Despite the record mild winter we're having, we had a stretch of days in January in the single digits. On those days, I was very glad for the size of my coop, as I shut my 11 chickens inside, so that they could be sheltered from the wind.

Any wind at 5 degrees F is brutally hard on their feet, combs, and wattles. At the time, I had five 8 month old pullets, five mature hens, and a mature rooster. Eleven birds in about 60 square feet of coop. I was sorry it wasn't larger, but they did fine.

Roughly 5.5 sf per bird, about 38% more space than the "suggested minimum."

"Gee, I wish I'd made my coop/run smaller," is a phrase I never read here on BYC. More space is always helpful with chickens.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I'm in Michigan also. Moved from Northern to now in Southern with a stint out of state.
I'd suggest going 12x8... Your nominal lumber lengths are 8,10,12,16 and sheeting length are in usual 4x8. So for an example buy your top and bottom plates 8' and get your wall studs 12', cut roughly in half gives you your 6' wall height. 2 sheets of plywood, and your wall is done.

A lot less cutting, and more room for your birds in inclement weather.

 

[Fluff Queen]

The 7 chicks are all bantams and The older 10 are all standard so would this be fine or should I still make it 12x6? They also have access to a much larger fenced in area that they go in during the day.

I just realized that I accidentally said all 7 were bantams. I actually have 5 bantams and 2 standards. Not sure if this changes anything or not. I think I will be making the coop 12x10 just so they can have plenty of extra room to move around!

 

[Sally PB]

I think I will be making the coop 12x10 just so they can have plenty of extra room to move around!

That sounds like a good plan.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm in Northern VT. This winter I had 13 large fowl coop in 4x8 and previous years I've had more than that. The door is opened every day, the run is sheltered, food and water are only in the run. Small coops work fine if you have sheltered runs and never lock the birds in the coop.

The social media coop space minimum is based on nothing but a repeated number that is exactly twice the space stated by agricultural colleges. 2 sqft per large fowl chicken is the minimum.