covered run/yard with smaller coop?

[Winter]

If chickens will be outside in a covered run in the winter, inside a sheltered yard, will they need as much coop space?

I am thinking of 3-6 large hens that will basically only be in the coop to roost at night, who can go out all day in a covered run. The whole thing (coop/run) will be inside a small yard with solid wood fencing that will act as a windbreak. I don't want a coop that is a whole building per se, just a place to nest and roost at night. So basically my question is do they need a lot of floor space inside their coop if they can go out all day??

Does this make sense?

 

[wegotchickens]

Makes perfect sense, and that's what we're going to do with our swingset coop. The indoor space is for nesting boxes, sleeping and bad weather, because they can go into a totally enclosed run any time they want.

 

[Chirpy]

It might depend on where you live. IE: if you live in a really, really cold climate that gets tons of snow and the outside area can get a buildup of snow that would mean they would have to spend more time inside. If that would be the case then you might have pecking issues when they are 'confined by weather' to the inside area if it's small.

However, if you live in a milder climate where they really can be outside all day, pretty much every day of the year then I think you would be fine with your set up.

Just a comment -- you do want to make sure that it's totally predator proof if you are going to be leaving their pop hole door open at night. (Maybe you'll be locking them up which will help.)

 

[Dawn419]

Check out our Playhouse Coop. It's home to 5 Banties right now.

Hope this is some help!

Dawn

 

[Wooden_Pony]

I have something similar to what you are asking about.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=3506-Building_Coop

Small coop and a covered run attached. I leave the coop door open unless it is really cold and/or windy. This winter we had to wrap one side of the run with plastic because of the wind storms we had with our rain blew the water in under the roof and was soaking my poor girls. But it is nice that they can be outside in our weather which is not that bad.