How many chickens per coop?

[rehric00]

Hi! I have an old shed that I am transforming into a coop, it is approx 10ft x 8ft. I am adding shelves to increase surface area for laying, as I want to increase my number of birds. They are only in the coop and night and we have a large fenced in area for them to roam during the day (25ft x 25ft). I may even start to let them roam the yard once the dogs get used to them. What is the maximum number of birds you would put in the coop?

 

[4 the Birds]

The rule of thumb is 4sf/bird for the coop. I like to have a lot my roost space then the standard 1ft/bird. I would max out at 15 and see how they get along.

 

[Judy]

There are several factors to condier when you talk about space. I really like this post about it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700308/coop-and-run-size/0_20#post_9504811

 

[Mtn Laurel]

We just built an 8 x 10 coop with the intent of housing no more than 20 birds. Our nesting boxes are on the exterior which allows us a bit more interior space. I have large breeds, could house more if they were bantams.