how big?

[junior67]

Hello I am going to be a new chicken owner. Well again but I was a child last time I had them so don't count that. Anyways... We are hoping to get 6 or 8 bantam chicks around March so it gives us time to build a coop once it warms up and is a bit warmer when I move them outside. I live in MA. This is the design I am hoping to go for, but the coop itself will be 4'x8' I think we will have it so the run comes off the 8' side and will be 8'x10' covered run. We won't use the wire they show here but the smaller one so it is safe. Will the coop and run size be a good size for 6-8 bantam chickens?

 

[CluckerFamily]

Will the nesting boxes be in the coop taking away some of that coop square footage or will the nesting boxes be off a side of the coop?
It may be better to plan for a little bigger of a coop to account for chicken math or if you have to integrate new members to the flock, you will be able to do the see but no touch integration.
Another thought to think about is the height of the run. I can stand in my run so this make for easy cleaning... no bending or crawling while trying to clean.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello I am going to be a new chicken owner. Well again but I was a child last time I had them so don't count that. Anyways... We are hoping to get 6 or 8 bantam chicks around March so it gives us time to build a coop once it warms up and is a bit warmer when I move them outside. I live in MA. This is the design I am hoping to go for, but the coop itself will be 4'x8' I think we will have it so the run comes off the 8' side and will be 8'x10' covered run. We won't use the wire they show here but the smaller one so it is safe. Will the coop and run size be a good size for 6-8 bantam chickens?View attachment 2508948

Yes, it will be good size for bantams.
How do you plan to access the run? And the coop?
Think errant eggs, sick chickens you need to retrieve from any part of the run, cleaning out and maintaining both.

 

[junior67]

Yes, it will be good size for bantams.
How do you plan to access the run? And the coop?
Think errant eggs, sick chickens you need to retrieve from any part of the run, cleaning out and maintaining both.

There will be a door going into the run so we can walk in there. And probably a door on one side of the coop that can be opened up enough for us to reach in fully or me to climb in. I am short so doesn't have to be too tall for me to climb in but planning on using all 4x8 so it will be 4' high on the sides and a bit taller for the middle since we are doing a slanted roof as we are in MA and can have a lot of snow. Will also do some high windows in the coop for lighting and air and their will be ventilation along the whole roof as well. that is just more of the "layout" with the coop up higher so the chickens also have under it and run attached to coop, slanted roof, and covered run. so not exact design. using a mix of a bunch that I have found for the exact design.

 

[mowin]

Are you limited on space? If your building it, I'd build a walk in coop. So much easier to clean and to lay out nest boxes and roosts. You can always add to the runs length to compensate for loosing the space under a raised coop. I'd use 1/2" hardware cloth for the run and ventilation in the coop.

 

[junior67]

Are you limited on space? If your building it, I'd build a walk in coop. So much easier to clean and to lay out nest boxes and roosts. You can always add to the runs length to compensate for loosing the space under a raised coop. I'd use 1/2" hardware cloth for the run and ventilation in the coop.

We are using hardware cloth for the run and ventilation in coop. wasn't sure if we were doing 1/4' or 1/2". We are a bit limited on space. have a decent size yard but have quite a few things in it with a shed, trampoline, swingset (that we may be taking down), grill, hot tub and room for my dogs to run. The chickens can have some free run but will depend on how hard they are to get back in the run to let my dogs out or if we divide the yard in half that the dogs can only use half of the yard OR if my old dog and new puppy once we get it learn to behave with them if we are out there. That is why I was doing the enclosed run and having the coop elevated for a bit of extra space. Plus the cost since the coop would mainly be 4x8 plywood all around. I am under 5' so it won't be hard for me to almost stand in the coop. haahaa. Will just need a platform around the part that isn't in the run so I can easily get into the coop.

 

[junior67]

Will the nesting boxes be in the coop taking away some of that coop square footage or will the nesting boxes be off a side of the coop?
It may be better to plan for a little bigger of a coop to account for chicken math or if you have to integrate new members to the flock, you will be able to do the see but no touch integration.
Another thought to think about is the height of the run. I can stand in my run so this make for easy cleaning... no bending or crawling while trying to clean.

Nesting box will be off to the side so won't take away from the coop size at all. figure 4x8 is 32sq ft of space so gives 4 sq ft of space per chicken and thought everything I have read said bantams only need 2 sq ft so doing double that if we do 8 chicks and even more if we only do 6. My husband has said 4. I am pushing for 8 since I have certain breeds that I want and don't want to have to choose. haahaa.

 

[aart]

This is the design I am hoping to go for, but the coop itself will be 4'x8' I think we will have it so the run comes off the 8' side and will be 8'x10' covered run. We won't use the wire they show here but the smaller one so it is safe. Will the coop and run size be a good size for 6-8 bantam chickens?

So almost nothing like the pic you posted?

 

[cmom]

I think it will be fine. As far as nest boxes you only need one or two. Most of the times most of my eggs are found only in a few of my nest boxes. One birds lays in it and then the rest want to too. In one coop I do have a larger community nest box with no patricians the birds lay in.

 

[junior67]

So almost nothing like the pic you posted?

well I guess unless you count the slanted roof on both run and coop, run attached to coop, door on side of coop, coop up off the ground for chickens to go under.... basically changes are windows, door on run, smaller wire around it and larger size. so guess if that means nothing like the one posted then ya. But would think a pic of mine once built and this one would pretty much look the same.........