Design and building coop for 25 growing chicks

[johniconomou]

Hi, I have started to build a 6x6 sleeping and nesting coop, will this be large enough for 25 chickens? How large should the space be for them to run including the coop itself? Im in debate with my fiance id we should cover the run top at all with metal fencing.... We live on a farm with woods. Any advice, suggestions and pics would help.

Thanks,
John

 

[Percheron chick]

6x6 is about the right size coop for 10 hens. I keep around 25 in as 10x12 converted stall. Works fine when they stay inside when there's blowing snow. My run is tight at 10x20 when not allowed to free range for a few days. Redesign the coop to at least 8x10 or reduce the # of hens. Make the run as large as possible but 10x20 is a minimum.
Covering the run is always a good idea. Make the run tall enough for you to walk around in.

 

[MeepBeep]

As a guideline you want to aim for 4 sqft of coop space per bird ideally, so in your case of 25 birds that means a 100 sqft coop or about 10x10 or 8x12...

You can shave that number to 2-3 sqft per bird in some instances but it can cause crowding, health and behavioral issues... Your 6x6 coop simply is not going to cut it in the end as that is less than 1sqft per bird... You also need about 1 linear foot of roost perch per bird, so you have to factor that in, as well, 25 linear feet of perch spaced 12" apart and 12" off any walls... In a 6x6 coop you could squeeze in about 18 feet of perch (without stacking on top of each other resulting in the lower ones being pooped on all night) still short of your needs for 25 birds...

Run size should be 10 sqft per bird, or 250 sqft in your instance... You can reduce it to a point but again you run the risk (very high) of behavioral and health issues if you go much smaller...

 

[irishsilkie]

As a guideline you want to aim for 4 sqft of coop space per bird ideally, so in your case of 25 birds that means a 100 sqft coop or about 10x10 or 8x12...

You can shave that number to 2-3 sqft per bird in some instances but it can cause crowding, health and behavioral issues... Your 6x6 coop simply is not going to cut it in the end as that is less than 1sqft per bird... You also need about 1 linear foot of roost perch per bird, so you have to factor that in, as well, 25 linear feet of perch spaced 12" apart and 12" off any walls... In a 6x6 coop you could squeeze in about 18 feet of perch (without stacking on top of each other resulting in the lower ones being pooped on all night) still short of your needs for 25 birds...

Run size should be 10 sqft per bird, or 250 sqft in your instance... You can reduce it to a point but again you run the risk (very high) of behavioral and health issues if you go much smaller...

your speaking let's say "not the truth" in a nice way there's no way you need 250square foot

 

[MeepBeep]

your speaking let's say "not the truth" in a nice way there's no way you need 250square foot

No actually I'm speaking the truth based on the most common recommendation of run space, found in multiple references...

How many sqft of run per chicken do you suggest? And can you tell me where you derived at said number?

Fact is what you need at some arbitrary bare minimum and what is adequate to avoid behavioral issues and other potential issues that arise from over crowding are two entirely different things...

Thus I firmly stand by my statement that a run for 25 standard chickens should be 250 sqft or larger, as that is only a 3' x 3' square per bird, hardly some extraordinary amount of space...

 

[irishsilkie]

No actually I'm speaking the truth based on the most common recommendation of run space, found in multiple references...

How many sqft of run per chicken do you suggest? And can you tell me where you derived at said number?

Fact is what you need at some arbitrary bare minimum and what is adequate to avoid behavioral issues and other potential issues that arise from over crowding are two entirely different things...

Thus I firmly stand by my statement that a run for 25 standard chickens should be 250 sqft or larger, as that is only a 3' x 3' square per bird, hardly some extraordinary amount of space...

Dont listen to him 100square foot is adequete

 

[MeepBeep]

Dont listen to him 100square foot is adequete

Fine don't take my word for it, anyone that doubts what I stated, feel free go Google away to and see if my recommended 10 sqft per bird run space is out of line or incorrect or if one should follow the recommended 4 sqft of run space per bird by irishsilkie...

Here is a link that will do the Google search for you...

http://bfy.tw/5J4Q

Heck if you follow that link a few pages in you will see that several communities mandate 10 sqft per run space by law...

http://www.bnd.com/news/local/article46164770.ece/BINARY/PDF: Chicken ordinance

http://nixa.com/home/showdocument?id=2862

http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Patterson/html/Patterson07/Patterson0760.html

http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2082

 

[irishsilkie]

Fine don't take my word for it, anyone that doubts what I stated, feel free go Google away to and see if my recommended 10 sqft per bird run space is out of line or incorrect or if one should follow the recommended 4 sqft of run space per bird by irishsilkie...

Here is a link that will do the Google search for you...

http://bfy.tw/5J4Q

Heck if you follow that link a few pages in you will see that several communities mandate 10 sqft per run space by law...

http://www.bnd.com/news/local/article46164770.ece/BINARY/PDF: Chicken ordinance

http://nixa.com/home/showdocument?id=2862

http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Patterson/html/Patterson07/Patterson0760.html

http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2082

believe me from experience 25hens can fit in a 5ft x 3 foot coop just fine

 

[MeepBeep]

believe me from experience 25hens can fit in a 5ft x 3 foot coop just fine

Sorry to say but I don't actually believe you as I personally place little credibility on hearsay anecdotal claims, when there is plenty of supporting evidence to suggest the contrary...

I would never in my life cram (or dare suggesting someone cram) 25 birds in a 15 sqft coop!!! That is equivalent to stuffing 2 chickens in a milk crate, that is a ridiculously insufficient space... Battery farms pack them in tight as well, doesn't mean it's ideal living conditions and isn't cruel, just because they do it...

People can live in a 6x9 solitary confinement cell just fine as well, just asked our penal system, that doesn't make it an ideal living space requirement for humans...

I have provided a Google search and thus numerous supporting websites, documents and even ordinances that support my claim that the run should be about 10 sqft per bird...

I feel the readers can form their own educated opinions from that data I linked or they can ignore it like you apparently do, their choice...

 

[blucoondawg]

believe me from experience 25hens can fit in a 5ft x 3 foot coop just fine

25 hens will fit in the cardboard box my 55 inch flat screen tv came in too, but I'm not going to stuff them in there and keep them that way.

Meep beep is simply giving out the same info that's listed in plenty of books , magazines, threads,etc it is considered the standard for keeping chickens without picking, fighting, etc.

The suggestion of 250sqft of run is not unreasonable, this is run not coop. There is no way you are going to keep 25 chickens in a 3x5 coop, how are you going to have enough roost bars so they aren't crapping on each other, nest boxes, feeders, waterers if necessary to store inside, ventilation without drafting and chilling them to death. If you are in a cold climate you expect that number of birds to live in this small area for months in end without going out in the run? That will cause major issues.

The advice you are giving at a minimum results in terrible animal husbandry which could very quickly turn into a neglect/abuse situation depending on how well you could actually manage this situation which is doubtful. Battery farms would be better living conditions than what you describe at least the birds would be caged and not living amongst a whole flock of cramped, ornery flockmates who are likely having behavior issues.