Coop size for 6 chickens?

[Dreammaker]

I plan to make a raised coop that will be 4x6 with the run being roughly 12/10 ft. I'm still going back and forth whether or not to make the nesting boxes inside or attached outside with drop door to get to the eggs.

-Mike

I would recommend putting the boxes on the outside. Some may feel differently--and I don't think there's a right or wrong approach--but I'd prioritize floor space inside the coop for the birds. Having the boxes on the outside means you won't take up any of their coop real estate. I also find it much more convenient to just open the drop-down door to collect eggs than having to open the coop itself and reach in. I have 6 birds in a 5x6 coop and couldn't imagine my nesting boxes taking up any of that space. Turns out, once I added the roosting bars and bedding and chickens, 30sqft is smaller in real life than it sounds on paper. Kudos for raising the coop too, btw--that's a great space-saver for the run.

 

[Quadzilla32]

I would recommend putting the boxes on the outside. Some may feel differently--and I don't think there's a right or wrong approach--but I'd prioritize floor space inside the coop for the birds. Having the boxes on the outside means you won't take up any of their coop real estate. I also find it much more convenient to just open the drop-down door to collect eggs than having to open the coop itself and reach in. I have 6 birds in a 5x6 coop and couldn't imagine my nesting boxes taking up any of that space. Turns out, once I added the roosting bars and bedding and chickens, 30sqft is smaller in real life than it sounds on paper. Kudos for raising the coop too, btw--that's a great space-saver for the run.

I'm starting to lean towards that way. being on the outside will make it easier to collect the eggs while opening up more space for the birds. The roosting bars will take up some space too and I'm just thinking it will fill up quickly and require the birds to perch on stuff and be crowded.

 

[3KillerBs]

Turns out, once I added the roosting bars and bedding and chickens, 30sqft is smaller in real life than it sounds on paper.

Good point.

I keep showing people this photo so that they can understand what space looks like with actual chickens in it.

This is 3 cull cockerels in a 4x8 space. They're 18 weeks and just *slightly* smaller than an adult hen of their breed.

 

[Quadzilla32]

Since i plan to add a 10/12 Ft run would it be wiser to shorten up the run and make the coop larger, say 6x6? Only issue I would see would be reaching the whole area of the coop for cleaning and such

 

[Dreammaker]

Since i plan to add a 10/12 Ft run would it be wiser to shorten up the run and make the coop larger, say 6x6? Only issue I would see would be reaching the whole area of the coop for cleaning and such

You're right that adding 2' of depth to the coop could make it somewhat harder to reach in and clean, but depending on how you choose to manage their bedding/litter/waste, you might not need to do deep cleanings that often. I think a 4x6 coop for 6 birds seems fine (4sqft per bird). I'll let others weigh in, but personally, if I were only wanting about 6 birds, I would opt for the bigger run and keep the coop size as is. They spend most of their time out in the run, even in winter. Sometimes, I wish we went a little bigger on our run.

 

[3KillerBs]

Since i plan to add a 10/12 Ft run would it be wiser to shorten up the run and make the coop larger, say 6x6? Only issue I would see would be reaching the whole area of the coop for cleaning and such

How big is the coop, actually?

Compared to the nests, it looks only 2 feet deep.

 

[Quadzilla32]

How big is the coop, actually?

Compared to the nests, it looks only 2 feet deep.

The coop itself is 4x6 with the run being 6x10/12.

 

[3KillerBs]

The coop itself is 4x6 with the run being 6x10/12.

OK. I must have been thinking of a photo on a different thread.

4x6 meets the minimums for 6 chickens.

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

For example, in a severe winter area you need to either enlarge your coop or provide a covered run that's also sheltered from wind and snow and in a hot summer area you need considerably more than the minimum ventilation.

 

[jreardon1918]

One thought about coop size. We built a raised 4'x8' coop. With a plan for 8 hens. It was fine for the 7 that we had for the first few years. But then as it was time to get new chicks, there as a space issue. Were I to do this again, I would plan for the long term. Fill it to 50%.
Then the next year add another 40-50%. Thenn as you lose a few for whatever reason, you have some space to add a few. Which means Building a larger coop would have been better for us. My two cents. YMMV

 

[3KillerBs]

One thought about coop size. We built a raised 4'x8' coop. With a plan for 8 hens. It was fine for the 7 that we had for the first few years. But then as it was time to get new chicks, there as a space issue. Were I to do this again, I would plan for the long term. Fill it to 50%.
Then the next year add another 40-50%. Thenn as you lose a few for whatever reason, you have some space to add a few. Which means Building a larger coop would have been better for us. My two cents. YMMV

I just wrote a new article that touches on this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/over-sized-isnt-just-for-sweaters.77604/