Coops -Can I have too much space?

[McKinneyMike]

I have been racking my brain and pouring over many designs for a coop build. While I was out in the yard my bride asked me why I was not going to use our 10'x12' utility shed with 8' ceiling height that I built 20 years ago. We really don't use it for anything anymore after I built the Garage Mahal (30' x 50' with a large attic that I have finished out now). I pondered for a minute and told her that it is too big for the number of hens that we will most likely have (6-12 birds as we are limited to a maximum of 12 birds in one enclosure by city ordinance). But the more I thought about it the more I thought it was not such a bad idea. It is well built and still very solid. My issue is that the way that I have it situated the run would have to be to the North so I will have my pop door on the north side. Am I over thinking this again I was thinking that I could add a front entrance to the shed to allow me to have a separate area to store food straw and other poultry related stuff away from the chickens but safe, secure and dry. I can include a 10' x 20-25' run off the coop too. Would you consider this a waste of space? I guess I really had my heart set of making a cool coop that I designed, but as I have never raised chickens before, maybe it is best if I utilize available resources and just modify it to suit the need. I can't help it I love to build stuff

 

[yogifink]

I like your idea of using the shed and giving yourself an area to store chicken related stuff. A lot of folks on here have gone that way and it looks and functions really well. Put your time and energy into desiging an interior layout that will fullfill your hearts desire. A decision I think you would not regret.

Then you could use the allocated funds that you would have used to buy material for the coop and invest into a hardy and cool looking run.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You can't have too much space.
It may seem big now, but by the time you get feeders, waterers, nest boxes and roosts inside, you'll wish it was bigger

 

[Belinda7]

Well, I certainly hope that a coop can't be "too large...." .....I am a first time chicken owner, and was worried that the chickens would not have enough room in the chicken tractor that I had made for them in the spring. They have gotten so big! Big surprise for me!

I started with 6 baby chicks, but lost 2 to predators, so I wanted to keep the remaining chickens safe at night, create a place that would be warm for our very cold winters in northern Michigan... and wanted them to have an area they could run around in inside the coop, as well as outside the coop, since snow can be deep here.....those were my goals.

Since we had quite a bit of scrap lumber left over from building the house, I thought I would put it to good use and make a new coop....it made sense to me to just use the lumber we had, and we had a few 8 x4 ft boards, so....I used them! The fact that many boards had warped over time, did make it a little more challenging!

Then thought I should also add another floor so there was one floor for food and water and one for nesting boxes and roosts.....and then I thought, they should have an nice fully enclosed pen too... for times I am not home for an extended period of time....

I actually did KNOW that each chicken needs at least 2 square ft.in the coop when I started building this. So clearly I have gone WAY OVERBOARD in creating a coop that in total has 64 square feet of indoor space and 80 sq. ft. of outdoor pen area.....for 4 chickens!!!

Sadly, I do have to admit to my husband that perhaps I did go a little overboard in building this coop. When I was building it, I didn't really think it was going to be that large.......hmmmm...but as a result, I now do have to face regular ribbing from multiple family members.....LOL....which I do realize I richly and most certainly deserve!

 

[aart]

I have been racking my brain and pouring over many designs for a coop build. While I was out in the yard my bride asked me why I was not going to use our 10'x12' utility shed with 8' ceiling height that I built 20 years ago. We really don't use it for anything anymore after I built the Garage Mahal (30' x 50' with a large attic that I have finished out now). I pondered for a minute and told her that it is too big for the number of hens that we will most likely have (6-12 birds as we are limited to a maximum of 12 birds in one enclosure by city ordinance). But the more I thought about it the more I thought it was not such a bad idea. It is well built and still very solid. My issue is that the way that I have it situated the run would have to be to the North so I will have my pop door on the north side. Am I over thinking this again I was thinking that I could add a front entrance to the shed to allow me to have a separate area to store food straw and other poultry related stuff away from the chickens but safe, secure and dry. I can include a 10' x 20-25' run off the coop too. Would you consider this a waste of space? I guess I really had my heart set of making a cool coop that I designed, but as I have never raised chickens before, maybe it is best if I utilize available resources and just modify it to suit the need. I can't help it I love to build stuff

Go for it!! 8x10 for the chooks and 4x10 for storage.

Then you can build the other coop at your leisure and have 2nd 'enclosure' for more birds!

 

[McKinneyMike]

That is exactly what I was thinking on the split in coop and storage. Oh I think twelve happy hens is my limit, if I even go with that many to start. I thought that it is far easier to thin out the herd than to add to it later, so I will probably get 12 chicks to start if not a few more to cover some losses and likelihood of a few roosters in the batch of chicks My wife is already thinking that I have lost my mind wanting to raise chickens, but I do think that she will come around after we start seeing them mature and grow.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I was lucky enough to have bought a home that used to be a chicken ranch. We are on the edge of town with one neighbor to the east and to the west and south is the county fairgrounds! We modified the existing coop, by cutting it in half with a little wall. This gives my birds a choice of sleeping with a cool breeze from the window-wall or on the other side where the air is more still. It is a HUGE coop. I could easily have 100+ chickens, but we are sticking with around 40 laying hens for right now, plus 20 or so meat birds in the spring. They also get to free range in an area out back that is mostly trees, rarely do they venture into the neighbors yard or the fairgrounds. I love that my birds have so much space and so do they!

 

[cafarmgirl]

That is exactly what I was thinking on the split in coop and storage. Oh I think twelve happy hens is my limit, if I even go with that many to start. I thought that it is far easier to thin out the herd than to add to it later, so I will probably get 12 chicks to start if not a few more to cover some losses and likelihood of a few roosters in the batch of chicks My wife is already thinking that I have lost my mind wanting to raise chickens, but I do think that she will come around after we start seeing them mature and grow.

I think you will be very happy with the 10x12 building for that size flock and for feed storage ect. The birds will have plenty of space and having their feed and bedding stored right there is really convenient for you. No slogging around in bad weather hauling feed/bedding. And you really can't have to much space for chickens. They will be comfortable and happy and your chances of stress/overcrowding related behavior issues is lessened by far.

I think your wife will probably come to enjoy your chickens too, especially when those chicks arrive!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

That is exactly what I was thinking on the split in coop and storage. Oh I think twelve happy hens is my limit, if I even go with that many to start. I thought that it is far easier to thin out the herd than to add to it later, so I will probably get 12 chicks to start if not a few more to cover some losses and likelihood of a few roosters in the batch of chicks My wife is already thinking that I have lost my mind wanting to raise chickens, but I do think that she will come around after we start seeing them mature and grow.

She will fall in love. Are you going to order for spring hatch? What types?

 

[McKinneyMike]

Well I am thinking about a mix of a pairs of Wyandottes (Gold Lace, Blue Lace Red and Silver Lace) and Brahmas (Partridge, Buff and Light). I was looking for nicely colored ladies that have stellar dispositions I hope that they will mix and give us many happy times and of course great eggs! Fingers crossed I will get this coop construction started asap. Since I am re-purposing an existing building I hope to knock it out in less than a month if my work load accommodates. I hope to get started as soon as I can, but with Winter coming soon I might have missed my window for now. I am motivated so we will see.