Hey all!

[Chicken coop Luke]

Chicken coop is 8x10 and run is 8x8….how many hens can I fit comfortably?

 

[mowin]

Rule of thumb is 4sq ft of uninstructed floor space in the coop per bird, and 10sq ft in the run. So 20 in the coop, but only 6 in the run. Your general location would help us help you. Will you be free ranging at all? Are you planning on large breeds only?

 

[Chicken coop Luke]

Rule of thumb is 4sq ft of uninstructed floor space in the coop per bird, and 10sq ft in the run. So 20 in the coop, but only 6 in the run. Your general location would help us help you. Will you be free ranging at all? Are you planning on large breeds only?

Thank you for the response…no free ranging as I am in an urban area. They have access to their coop all day as well does that help with square footage?

 

[mowin]

Thank you for the response…no free ranging as I am in an urban area. They have access to their coop all day as well does that help with square footage?

Depends, where are you located? On very cold windy days, mine will not leave the coop for several days, having space for them to spread out, keeps squabbling down.
Same with the run. Chickens will have a pecking order. Giving the lesser birds space to escape with things to hide under, or behind will help keep the peace. IMO, I would not put more than 6-8 in your setup, unless you can expand the run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Unless this is an open air style combination coop/run where the space is essentially the same, the run really is the restriction here as in most cases, chickens will prefer to be outside all day and really only go in to lay, shelter from weather (sometimes), or to eat (if feeder is inside). So I agree with 6 birds max with the run's current size.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

If you put your general location into your profile we can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

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.

An 8x10 coop would *normally* be paired with a 10x20 run at the minimum.

If you're in a fairly warm climate -- say zone 7 and above (USA), you might want to combine it into a single structure as an Open Air coop. That is, essentially, a roofed run with a 3-sided shelter on the windward end.

In which case you'd have enough room to comfortably house about 10.

Are these existing structures or still to be built? If existing, can you show us photos so we can make suggestions about the best utilization of space.

Also, Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation