How many chickens in a 8x12 coop?

[snow5164]

Oh boy you caught me , I did forget we added another 8 foot roost across the back wall too . It seems nothing stays the same and its hard to keep up !!

Now the other coop has ducks in it ,
That I remember

 

[aart]

Oh boy you caught me , I did forget we added another 8 foot roost across the back wall too . It seems nothing stays the same and its hard to keep up !!

Just curious about full details for myself and others....
....I would imagine you have decent covered run for winter too?
I just can't imagine 3.5sqft during a long winter storm.

 

[snow5164]

Ok I’ll tell you all about my set up ....

We sure aren’t in the North Pole , last year we used the snowblower once and didn’t really need it . Having snow acts as insulation our birds eat it too

My coop has a 8x8 foot floor of sand
The nesting boxes are enclosed with a 2x4 on top .. and sand up there too.

There is a window on each wall , and a screen door to the hallway .

Yes my birds are outside in a covered run all winter long , it’s 10x40 we cover the first 10 feet with tarps and plastic to stop the wind ,( there’s a metal roof)
We make a “ doggie door “ for the rest of the uncovered run for the brave at heart , you’d be surprised how many venture out to that side and sunbathe on a tree stump

We keep the coop heated to 0’C. We let the birds roam in the hallway that’s 16x6 some climb up on my shelves and “ dust bathe” in the bucket of oyster shells

I honestly don’t know how the winter will go as we had them separate last year , if we have problems we’ll just sell a few . There’s always a need around here for laying hens ...

 

[aart]

Yes my birds are outside in a covered run all winter long , it’s 10x40 we cover the first 10 feet with tarps and plastic to stop the wind ,( there’s a metal roof)

That helps a ton.

We let the birds roam in the hallway that’s 16x6 some climb up on my shelves and “ dust bathe” in the bucket of oyster shells

Is this 'hallway' part of the coop and/or run?

 

[aart]

How did I become the topic of this thread ??.....Now would you like to see my underwear drawer next ? Since you know all my business

I wondered if you really kept 18 birds in just an 8x8 coop in your climate,
since this a thread by a newbie wanting to learn about chickens and the space needed and didn't want them(or anyone else reading) to be mislead....and I was also curious so asked for details.
I have no interest in your underwear.

 

[Themagicone]

I'm in Minnesota, close to Minneapolis. Goal wouldn't be to keep it really warm, just keep the chill down. Was thinking of the tile warmer fabric, laying tile over it then cover in 3" of sand. The sand would become a heat sink and keep it somewhat warm.

Only reason I thought to insulate it was I heard egg production can go down with cold. I do a large amount of baking between Thanksgiving and Christmas that would be great to do with fresh eggs.

 

[snow5164]

There’s nothing wrong with keeping the coop warmer , we keep ours at 0 degrees Celsius (Canada) . We insulated because it keeps the winds from getting in and my coops nice and cool in the heat too.

Never thought of heated tiles , it wouldn’t warm the air , the sand might be too warm for them to go from snow to a warm floor ? Not sure about that . We put in a thermostat so the heater only comes on when its-1

We have heated floors in our dog kennel , if we sit on the concrete floor we feel it , dogs love it and push the blankets aside . Let us know how it works out !

Do what you planned , people that don’t live in your environment have no clue what needs to be done that’s why we all make different choices .My temperatures are different from my daughter and she lives 8 miles away

Good luck

 

[aart]

Only reason I thought to insulate it was I heard egg production can go down with cold. I do a large amount of baking between Thanksgiving and Christmas that would be great to do with fresh eggs.

Insulation might be warranted in your climate, but many live there who don't insulate.
Keep in mind that insulation can harbor rodents and other pests, the insulation will have to be covered on inside of coop so chickens won't eat it. You'll have to weigh the odds and decide for yourself.

As far as heating a coop, keep in mind that adequate ventilation is also needed(even in winter) and can make heating moot, or at least costly.

Heat is not what produces eggs, it's light. When days get short, less than about 12 hours, a chicken older than about 12 months will likely stop laying and molt then start up again when days lengthen enough again after Solstice. Supplemental lighting, kept carefully steady with a timer, can keep birds laying thru winter. First year layers might lay all winter without lighting. The period between T-day and Solstice is when production can be at it's lowest....my holiday baking customers often have to buy at the grocery store during that time. There's good reason that Easter/Ostara is celebrated with eggs aplenty around Spring Equinox when fertility abounds and egg production soars.

There’s nothing wrong with keeping the coop warmer , we keep ours at 0 . We insulated because it keeps the winds from getting into in and my coops nice in the heat too.

Yes, I'm going to ask for more details. 0 Celcius? So 32F?
I won't ask about your ventilation, so as to not derail this thread again, maybe for another thread or you could link your coop page if you have one(hint-hint).

 

[flyin-lowe]

Also, depending on your coop design, if you have nest boxes etc. inside I would deduct that space from your square footage. Your foot print is 96 square feet but if you have nest boxes inside, feeders, waterers etc. they are taking up space.

 

[snow5164]

Also, depending on your coop design, if you have nest boxes etc. inside I would deduct that space from your square footage. Your foot print is 96 square feet but if you have nest boxes inside, feeders, waterers etc. they are taking up space.

That really depends on your design , my nesting boxes add another level of space , my hens are up there looking out the windows and eating the bugs , it totally depends if you use the space wisely and have flat roofs on your nesting boxes .Mine also dust bathe up there since it’s an inch deep with ash and de.

Yes a waterer takes up space , but they need it to live .... so