How big is to big?

78Vette

Chirping
7 Years
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Mar 25, 2012
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Stuarts Draft Va,
I am going to turn my 6x12 shed into a coop. I want to keep some of it as storge and some for my hens. I was thinking about making it 4x6 with a door out to a 4x12 run out side. Is this going to be to big or just right for me to add more hens later?
 
I can tell you that I have 5 girls in a 6x4 right now and I wish I went bigger. By the 3 sq foot rule, I could have 8 in there. You are always better to go bigger than you think you need. I'm kicking myself in the butt that I didn't go bigger. Don't kick youself in the butt later
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The good thing with the shed is I can make it bigger. I may do a 6x6 or so. The more I read on here bigger is better if I want more later.
 
I have a 96 sq ft run & a 25 sq ft coop for a total of 10 birds (4 standard chicks, 4 bantum chicks, & 2 mallards). It leaves me enuf room to add 1-2 more birds depending on what they are. So you just have to calculate how many birds you have & how many you may want to add & go from there. They say 4 sq feet of coop for standard chicks, 2 for bantums, 4 for small ducks & 6-8 for large ducks. Run should be 10 sq ft for each standard chick, 5 for bantums, 6-8 for small ducks & 10-12 for large ducks. My coop is actually a bit small if my mallards decide they want in too but I'm looking at building them their own dog-box style coop at ground level since I have heard ducks prefer lower nesting areas. Right now the size isn't really an issue cuz they are all only about 4 weeks old.
 
Did some work on it today. I am going to make my run a 8x16 with a roof. My coop will also be a little bigger then I was thinking aswell. I will have to get some pictures up this weekend of how its coming along.
 
Here are a few pictures of my coop so far. I have finished putting up the wire on the out side and have a door to the out side aswell. I will have it done this weekend. Then I will put up more pictures.
 

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