Help!!! please.

[chickenboy190]

Ok, so i need some help i have 4 chickens and they are like 3-4 years old i had them in a small coop but this year I got 13 chicks but that was a few mounths back so i need a chicken coop for like 30 chickens I know I only have 17 but I'm getting 4 silkies and I would like them to have some chicks and I will most likely get some next year so i need some of you guys to help me and also how much feet each chicken needs .

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You need (optimally) at least 4 square feet per chicken inside the coop, with an additional 10 square feet per chicken in the run.

The bigger the better!!!

If you get a lot of snow where you live then you may want to increase that amount inside the coop as well, for the times they just live in the coop with snow on the ground.

For 30 chickens personally I would build a large shed. Like a nice 12x16 or something. Insulated- even better! Make your windows up high so it doesn't blow on the chickens, 1/2 inch hardware cloth over the windows, and roosts higher than nest boxes so they won't sleep in them.

Check your codes though- you may need to stay under a certain number of square feet to avoid having to get a builder's permit.

 

[Judy]

The rule of thumb on here is 4 sq ft per chicken, so 30 chickens + 120 sq ft, or about 10' X 12'. Plus 10 sq ft per chicken in the run. Ther are a lot of factors that can change that, though, including how much your chickens will be able to get outdoors in the winter. They don't usually like to walk in much snow, so a partly covered or protected run can reduce coop size. Especially with that many, space is partly a function of how the space is used. You might also consider a possible need for a separate pen or two for breeding, brooding, sick birds, and maybe to separate bantams from large fowl, as many people do. Here is just one good post on space, and an excellent article by a Canadian who believes in much larger coops in cold climates:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700308/coop-and-run-size/0_20#post_9504811

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

 

[chickenboy190]

Thanks a LOT guys.