How big of a coop do I need for 12 chickens?

[Echilde]

I got my Border Collie/ Great Pyrenees crosses for 75$ apiece. I have spent far more money in vet and food bills than their initial cost. I see full blood Pyrs, Anatolian Shepherd, and Pyr /Anatolian crosses around here regularly for cheap. They are getting more prevalent, and farm dogs will have puppies their owner wants to get rid of.

I have seen puppies around here for a couple hundred but I don't really want to start with a puppy. I would prefer one that has been working with chickens already. The breeders I've found want 1800 or more and even the random person wants at least 500.

 

[Ghosty]

I have seen puppies around here for a couple hundred but I don't really want to start with a puppy. I would prefer one that has been working with chickens already. The breeders I've found want 1800 or more and even the random person wants at least 500.

Puppies are easy to train to your chickens if you have the time. LGD's, nor any dog, "works" with chickens. They largely ignore them, it is the predators they are after. They are bred for large livestock. The dogs that baby chickens like they are their momma are special, and few and far between. I would always suggest getting a dog as a puppy, and not taking in an older dog with set ways that hasn't been raised by you. Again, these dogs won't be trained to herd chickens, they are trained to manage livestock. Hence the Livestock Guardian Dog name. If you want a dog that lives with chickens, raise a puppy in the coop.

 

[Echilde]

Puppies are easy to train to your chickens if you have the time. LGD's, nor any dog, "works" with chickens. They largely ignore them, it is the predators they are after. They are bred for large livestock. The dogs that baby chickens like they are their momma are special, and few and far between. I would always suggest getting a dog as a puppy, and not taking in an older dog with set ways that hasn't been raised by you. Again, these dogs won't be trained to herd chickens, they are trained to manage livestock. Hence the Livestock Guardian Dog name. If you want a dog that lives with chickens, raise a puppy in the coop.

By working with I mean not chasing and using them as a squeaky toy. And I understand that raising a puppy would be ideal, however I doubt I'd have the time to do so properly. But I'll think about it.

 

[Ghosty]

By working with I mean not chasing and using them as a squeaky toy. And I understand that raising a puppy would be ideal, however I doubt I'd have the time to do so properly. But I'll think about it.

It really isn't that hard. I just sat with my pups in the yard while the birds milled about, and gently scolded the pups if they went to "play" with the birds. It only took a couple weeks of supervision. Honestly, no dog is worth $1500 in my eyes. They are only worth what You put into them. I've seen dogs that were well trained by a trainer, and totally ran over their owners because they couldn't follow suit. My in-laws English Springer Spaniel being one of them.

 

[Echilde]

It really isn't that hard. I just sat with my pups in the yard while the birds milled about, and gently scolded the pups if they went to "play" with the birds. It only took a couple weeks of supervision. Honestly, no dog is worth $1500 in my eyes. They are only worth what You put into them. I've seen dogs that were well trained by a trainer, and totally ran over their owners because they couldn't follow suit. My in-laws English Springer Spaniel being one of them.

My indoor dogs couldn't care less about the chickens, but it took a little while to get there. I guess penning the puppy up until it was able to be trusted would be doable, although I hate doing that. Thanks for your opinion.

 

[ocap]

I built a shelter instead of a coop. I placed the shelter in the run. two sheets of exterior plywood cut in half length wise three of the pieces will be your ceiling, floor and north wall. south side is open to the weather. the fourth piece is used for the ends. it worked fine for the Missouri winters.

 

[Ghosty]

My indoor dogs couldn't care less about the chickens, but it took a little while to get there. I guess penning the puppy up until it was able to be trusted would be doable, although I hate doing that. Thanks for your opinion.

I don't think it would take long. LGD's and herding dogs are quite intelligent and want to please you, they just need to be pointed in the right direction. I would rather have a pup from working dogs off a farm than a breeder dog for such purposes. Np, I'm not trying to be critical, just helpful.

 

[Mtnboomer]

My coop is 32sf 4'x8' of open floor with 3 roosting rods overhead, but they roost in rafters too plus a row of nesting boxes on both sides (1ft x 8ft each) i keep a max of 18 birds at any given time. But they are only in there to sleep and seem to have plenty of room for that.
They free range so no run but my flight pen for chicks up to 4 mos old and ducks is 8' x 30' and I may have as many as 12 chicks and 4-6 ducks in there at a time with PLENTY of room for all

 

[Lavender Wraps]

It also depends on how much time they will be inside. Will there be a run? How big? Free range? Oh and go bigger than you think regardless since you will probably end up with more. Lol. I went from 3 to 54 currently, plus 2 ducks!

What do you do with all those eggs? We raised too many and was giving eggs away by the, no, not carton, box. We were getting a dozen eggs a day and we eat and use maybe 8-10 a week, sometimes, lol!
Well, our problem was solved sadly enough. A new neighbor let his bird dogs run. My son came running up to the house calling, "Mom, come quick!" The dogs had returned to their owners by the time that I got out there. It was terror on the farm for sure. My poor babies (although they were adults) dead or dying. My younger soon was out in the pasture chewing out the dogs owners for letting their dogs run loose. They offered us their 8 layers that they had raised from chicks. I said no, it just wasn't the same. I asked that they pay $25 a bird. The feed store sells pullets for $19 each. My babies were in full lay. Sadly the last injured one died today. I was so very happy to see 4 hens come wandering in from where I don't know, I had looked and looked for them. And Shortie! My little poster boy! Surprisingly I got 2 egss the next day. They were so tramitized.
My coop is 24 x 12 Don't need all that room now. BUT, I have a banty hen sitting on an artificial egg, in a weeks I'm going to put a few chicks under her!!

 

[Ecatocsc]

Thanks so much! we have the room and were planning on a 10 x 12 raised coop plus a 12 foot run!

I have 4 pullets, my coop is 10X12’ & it is small, we added an attic ladder& roosting beems to encourage them to be 3 diminutional for more room but they need more room to cratch & dust bath