Coop size

[lawyer83]

Hello all,

My son's 6th grade class hatched chickens and we now own four hens. This is all new to us. We are in the process of buying a new coop and found this one online. The coops look great online. The dimensions are 6x10. The add states:


The Extra Large Urban Coop is 6ft wide 10ft long with larger run area, 6 nesting boxes,2 roosting bars easy egg access also a full man door and chicken door with prime ventilation also equipped with premium hinges and linoleum flooring for easy cleaning. All material is treated lumber making this stand out against the weather!

We have posted a picture below. Can someone tell us if this is a good size for 4 hens that would spend a lot of time in the coop? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!


http://chickencoopmansions.com/store/urban-coops/extra-large-urban-coop_i23

 

[Christabean]

That should be plenty of room. The standard answer around here is 4 square feet per bird in the coop, 10 square feet in the run. Usually that's enough to have your chickens happy and not fighting. Some people recommend much larger areas, but on the other hand I read typical stocking density for commercial meat birds is only .45-1 square foot each in the pen! I have a small backyard but will be able to make about a 6x12 run for my 4 hens. My neighbor has 9 hens in a similar space and they seem happy; don't smell a bit and I never hear squabbling. I think it's like people: if you're used to an urban apartment it feels perfectly normal, but the same studio apartment might feel like a prison if you grew up on a big ranch in the country.

 

[lawyer83]

Thanks for the reply. I was also looking at this one. Barn measures 8’4” high x 11’6” wide x 9’ deep.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Of the two the first one looks to be a better built coop. I too think 4 in that space will do just fine. I think you found a good source if it is affordable. (affordable meaning not breaking your bank to do it)