How big should I make my coop and run for 4 birds?

[HuntingChick14]

Is the 4x6 just the coop or does it include the run?

 

[BYCforlife]

Mine did not complain about the 112 sq foot coop with 11 in it over winter.

I did not worry about them fighting when it was blowing snow all day.

Yes, that is pretty much 10 square feet per chicken, that is great size!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

If you DO have an outdoor run, you can have as little as 2 square feet per chicken in the coop. That is the absolute minimum, though. Make sure you have at least 1 foot of roost per chicken too.

The minimum for a standard sized chicken is actually four square feet of coop space per bird, two is for bantams. That's just the rule of thumb, though. Which I don't really follow.

 

[jeria]

So you have four feet of extra room between the coop and the run on the sides?

I started trying to describe it gave up. Here is my overhead type plan it is of missing various, vents, etc and has a few roughly marked in not to scale.

 

[jeria]

BTW I LOVE graph paper.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Graph paper is certainly less expensive then replacing miscut lumber.

 

[jeria]

It won't let me edit. It will have a slant roof with the lowest point in the back 6 feet and about 8 feet on the East side. So added vents in the slanted area, a couple windows that are not on the overhead view. A 30 inch skirting with both hardware cloth and welded rabbit wire, hardware cloth all around with a plywood roof topped with a white metal roofing to reflect our summer heat.

 

[HuntingChick14]

Would a 4x5 coop work? I'd like to keep the run 5' wide and I'm going to raise the coop by 2' so the run will extend underneath as well. I feel like I'm either over-thinking this or my coop is just gonna look weird lol!

 

[jeria]

Graph paper is certainly less expensive then replacing miscut lumber.

Or fabric or ripping out hundreds of quilting stitches. Sorry I'm more a quilter than a builder but have been remodeling almost totally by myself the past two years. Learning a lot along the way, not bad for an old gramma.

 

[jeria]

Would a 4x5 coop work? I'd like to keep the run 5' wide and I'm going to raise the coop by 2' so the run will extend underneath as well. I feel like I'm either over-thinking this or my coop is just gonna look weird lol!

Sheesh I'm the master of overthinking!! 4x5 coop gives you 5 square feet per chick. My thinking from all I've read is that I needed at least 4 sq feet. You will also like I will probably have to shut your chicks up in the winter occasionally, I used to ski up in your area as I lived in Londonderry and the Boston metro years ago. Gets dang cold, snowy and windy up in your mountains. My thinking for 4x6 is the most chicks I may have per code is 6. I'm starting with 4 in a few years when the egg production drops I will be able to add a couple more. LOL my original thinking was 2 then 3 I found out was better and then I couldn't decide on breeds so 4.