Coop size

[Vinniemac]

Will a 8x4 Coop with 2 nest boxes be alright for 6 standard hens.
Vinnie

 

[mickey328]

Yes, that should give them plenty of space. Will they have access to either free range or a run as well?

 

[Vinniemac]

I'm building 8x16 run plus they will be able to free range occasionally. I have about a acre of fence in land.For my to dogs but I can keep then out of there when I need to.
Vinnie

 

[Hennerville]

yes a 8x4 will be fine for 6-8 hens, I would also add a run or let them free range also. mine is 13 x 5 with 4 boxes for 17 hens, the only time they are in the house is at night or bad weather, I free range

 

[ailurophile23]

Sounds like your hens will have plenty of room indoors and out Vinnie. Lots of us on BYC would love to see pictures of the coop or the building of it as you go along.

 

[aggiemae]

Our coop is 7x4 for six hens and we have two nest boxes. Seven feet gives them more than enough room to roost. We let them out as soon as I hear the first clucking (currently around 7:15 AM). They jump off the roost only when the see me coming through the window and I am in the habit of cleaning the floor (covered with 1" of stall dry over sheet vinyl) immediately so they don't track poop into the nest boxes. The
hens pretty much stay out side all day except to go in to lay and free range on about 1/2 acre but this might change in the winter. We do have a 12X7 covered run because it rains so much here. The run area under the coop (2' high) is gravel so I can rake it out and the rest is mostly covered with about 4" of crushed filbert (nut) shells but I left the dusting holes they dug. It's something new so we'll see how it turns out as the wet weather returns.

 

[PFSfarmer]

I think you will be fine.

I read somewhere that 1 nest box is good for 3-4 chickens. We have 8 boxes 10 adult birds and 60 babies in another more predator proof pen for now. Also we actually found 4 chickens in 1 box in the heat of the summer. Made no sense to us when there is 8 boxes, but if they was happy with laying eggs on top of each other we are too I guess.

Here is a link to with pics to our coops. Nothin fancy, but gets job done.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/711872/new-coop-and-old-coop

 

[aggiemae]

. Also we actually found 4 chickens in 1 box in the heat of the summer. Made no sense to us when there is 8 boxes, but if they was happy with laying eggs on top of each other we are too I guess.

We tired a community coop but converted it to two because three of our chickens will lay together and the other two sit on the roost and complain and then go in one at a time.

Then they all wanted to use the same box so I researched BYC and found out that it was a good idea to make the boxes as exactly the same as possible. I measured and adjusted the divider put the same amout of filing over the same color towel and re painted the whole thing one color and the ladies seem lots happier. Well....they are lots quieter and so I am happier.

 

[PFSfarmer]

We tired a community coop but converted it to two because three of our chickens will lay together and the other two sit on the roost and complain and then go in one at a time.

Then they all wanted to use the same box so I researched BYC and found out that it was a good idea to make the boxes as exactly the same as possible. I measured and adjusted the divider put the same amout of filing over the same color towel and re painted the whole thing one color and the ladies seem lots happier. Well....they are lots quieter and so I am happier.

Interesting. Our nest boxes are dang near exactly the same, but the filling maybe off in each. We will start with that. Sometimes we go in there and there will be 5 birds in 5 different boxes and 2 in 1 or some weird combination. Thanx.

 

[Jim19053]

My coop is 4 by 5 and the run is 4 by 10. I have 6 chickens and so far it seems adequate. I have only had them for a month but so far so good. They are laying eggs everyday and seem to have plenty of room to play in the run. I think yours should be plenty big. Good luck with your coop!

My coop and run > http://bcths.net/coop.html