Coop size too small?

[lynnehd]

Update! I did a major dumb mistake and I measured the coop wrong! The actual dementions are 11 ft by 9ft, so I have plenty of room!

very dumb on my part

Yay for mistakes! Good outcome.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I'm at a loss now for my coop has a floor size of 48 square feet not including brood boxes that means I should have only 24 birds at best?? I have had 50 birds and all happy no issues on mortality except when It was hit by dogs just recently. At night the birds perch on the roost in the 4ft x4ft area I have roost set up leaving all the rest of the coop open.
Never had any issues should I enlarge my coop I was thinking about putting more roost in it but not enlarging it. I do have a shade area for them outside where they can stay cool in the daytime living here in the deep south

 

[Howard E]

I'm at a loss now for my coop has a floor size of 48 square feet not including brood boxes that means I should have only 24 birds at best?? I have had 50 birds and all happy no issues on mortality except when It was hit by dogs just recently. At night the birds perch on the roost in the 4ft x4ft area I have roost set up leaving all the rest of the coop open.
Never had any issues should I enlarge my coop I was thinking about putting more roost in it but not enlarging it. I do have a shade area for them outside where they can stay cool in the daytime living here in the deep south

If this is true, are they given free choice to go outside during the day, such that they are only using this coop for shelter at night? Do they have other roost choices (as in trees to roost in) or is this attached to a run and they have no choice?

At less than 1 sf per bird, you are at a cage layer density. To keep birds at those densities, the cage layer folks often have to resort to clipping beaks to keep the birds from pecking each other silly (or dead). Manure management is essential, as is food and water and mechanically controlled ventilation systems. Try shutting the door during the day and keeping them all inside and at the end of the day, if there are any survivors left, it will probably look like there has been a really big pillow fight in there.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

They have a large run but have had them for all last year with no problem they go in to sleep and to lay they stay outside during the day and I have a covered area for them when it rains and they can roost ont the top but I don't keep them locked up tight at all if I could I would let them run free

 

[MissKitty2Pots]

We had planned on 6 and built our own coop 3'x5' with internal nest boxes and predator proof external run of 7'x16. Great. Got 6 peeps. Then the games began. Lost a few to my stupidity (shock). Replaced them and got extra one. Husband came home with 3. Hmmm. Somehow the flock grew from 6 to 12! So we finished the 3'x5' coop and have it for sale and are making the 6'x8' coop. Still going to use the external run and they will be able to go under the coop. Many predators here so I am putting hardware cloth on the ground and covering with a billboard tarp then sand and it will link up with the cloth on the sides and roof of the run as well as the sides to the underside of the coop. The girls will have lots of room to play. Part of the run will be covered. I hope we did an ok job.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Haha I planned on 12 and I now have 25

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I had planned on 15 last year and ended up with 60+

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Haha that is probably going to be me me because I just got my first ones a month ago and I now have 25

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I was decimated by dogs in January down below 29 birds now I'm back up to over 40 and imcubating another 40+ eggs lol