floor space vs roost space

[dey59]

I'm going to build a coop for fifteen barred rock hens. the coop will be 6ft wide with 9ft ceiling. at 3 sqft per bird 45 sqft. 6ft by 8ft is 48 sqft if I put in 3 roosts stair stepped 6ft wide 12 in apart this takes up 3 ft x 6ft of floor space leaving 5ft x 6ft or 30 sqft. my question is does the area under the roost count as floor space. or do I need 6ft x 8ft of open floor space plus 3ft x 6ft of roost area for a total coop size of 6ft x 11 ft. thank for any information.

 

[DobieLover]

Three square feet of floor space per bird is pushing it unless you have a fully predator proof run attached to the coop so they can go out to the run as soon as they come off the roost.
If you won't have that, you need to shoot for 4 sq ft per bird so they have enough space when they are locked in the coop. So for 15 birds, I'd shoot for an 8x8 structure to maximize use of standard lumber/plywood dimensions.
You also want to target 12" of roost space per bird. Ideally, roosts should be a minimum of 12" from the wall and adjacent roosts to minimize poop splatter on the wall and other birds.
The space under the ladder would count as floor space but it would be heavily poop laden in that area.
Have you considered installing poop boards with the roosts centered over them? That actually gives another level for the birds to escape to if they want and really helps utilize the vertical space.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

Dobie's already given you helpful info, but just to summarize,

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

15 hens

• 60 square feet in the coop. 8'x8' is easier to build than 6'x10'
• 15 feet of roost
• 150 square feet in the run. 10'x15', 12'x12' or 8'x20'
• 15 square feet of ventilation.
• 4 nest boxes.

It's best, IMO, to build with the standard dimensions of lumber and sheet goods in mind -- that is, remembering that lumber comes in lengths that are multiples of 4 and that plywood and siding generally comes in 4x8 sheets.

 

[NatJ]

does the area under the roost count as floor space.

If the birds can use the space, then yes it counts as floor space.

That means they need to be able to walk there, not bump their heads on the roosts, have enough light to see, and so forth.

or do I need 6ft x 8ft of open floor space plus 3ft x 6ft of roost area for a total coop size of 6ft x 11 ft.

I would recommend building the bigger coop size, because bigger is usually much nicer for both the chickens and you.

But climate matters a lot. Here are a few examples of how climate can change your needs:

If you have long cold winters, definitely build the bigger coop, because the chickens will have to spend large amounts of time inside.

If you mostly have long hot summers, make one entire side of the coop from wire mesh (hardware cloth) to let heat escape.

If you have a covered run (roof, wire mesh walls, something to keep predators from digging underneath) AND you live in a climate without cold weather, you can probably skip the "coop" entirely. Just put roosts and nestboxes in the covered run. (This arrangement is sometimes called an "open air coop.")

 

[rosemarythyme]

coop is in a garage with concrete floor.

Is this a garage used for vehicles, tools, storage of personal items that you don't want to have dirtied...?

Or an empty unused building?

Reason I ask is if it's a garage used for other purposes, things like car fumes could be harmful to the chickens, or conversely, the dust generated by the chickens can clog up mechanical equipment or just make things dirtier than you'd want.

In either case, also remember that ample ventilation is essential to help let moisture and ammonia escape - most garages aren't built with ventilation in mind so that's something you'll need to plan for as well.

 

[rosemarythyme]

yeah I will wall up both ends and install window that open with hardware cloth on the outside to control the air movement

If it gets hot in the summer there, you're probably better off leaving the option of being able to open at least one wall.

Depending on the nature of the existing openings, there's various options to keep ventilation open while buffering drafts. Photos in and out of the ventilation and general set up of the garage can help garner more specific advice.

 

[3KillerBs]

plenty of ventilation probably to much

No such thing as too much ventilation in a chicken coop, though it can be badly placed.

I have 16 square feet of permanent ventilation with 10 square feet of supplemental ventilation in my 4'x8' outdoor brooder and it's absolutely draft-free. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

Having the downwind wall made of wire is an excellent way of providing draft-free ventilation.

 

[tigger19687]

Please do a search on here for Poop Boards There is a Wealth of info on here an you will be happy you did it.
As for the structure make it twice the size you are thinking .

There is a lot of info missing from your question to answer 100%. And it is a little hard to understand.... Is the coop 6x8 or 6x11 ?
Where are you, what is the location that the coop would be, run area?

 

[Iluveggers]

If you get 12 birds instead of 15, they would fit just right!

 

[Boise-girls]

Poop boards are awesome! I didn't think I needed them because I only have six hens and it was pretty easy to pick up roost poop in the morning. I actually installed them as an aid for getting on roosts. I can't believe how easy they make clean-up! A couple of minutes, tops, and would be less if two of them weren't roosting on lateral studs.