How many coops are too many?

[Trevorusn]

Right now is a good time to dream and expand your chicken "collection". I have over 75 birds all of varying ages. I have one large coop, with several segregated parts and runs. I also have mobile coops for small flocks. I keep my breeds separate to incubate eggs and sell extras for hatching. I don't say the chickens make me money... but there is a cash flow from them, helps "re-coop" money spent! I have brooding boxes in the coop for chicks, or isolation/recovery. I also have my layers separate for my "eating eggs" and they run with juveniles as the juvies out grow brooding boxes.
Bottomline if you enjoy the chickens you have and can tend to more....GO FOR IT!View attachment 2115369View attachment 2115373

I was considering an A-frame style like this, but wintee durability concerned me. I like the general idea of it though.

 

[Trevorusn]

I have three 8x8 and one 8x24 cattle panel hoop coops. Turkeys need more room, 10 sqft per bird in the coop. But they prefer to sleep in the trees. I have 20 some turkeys and 40 some chickens. The turkey hens are hogging the larger nest boxes 12 have gone broody so far
Middle of every winter I say I am going to cut back, but keep hatching more. Boys go to freezer camp, some of the hens get sold.

Good to know, that really helps in factoring all in. I "plan" on only 4-5 turkeys but knowing the 10sq.ft. rule does eliminate a 4x6 for them. Bigger it is then lol.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Lol thats a lot for the space, must be a pretty efficient layout!

I know, right? I also have a fair amount of garden space, and the kids have a whole 50 x 50 play area!

 

[Trevorusn]

I have 1 small tractor.
If I need to separate a hen from the flock I have a dog kennel.

Now my neighbor up the road has at last count 7 coops and about 18 hens. He says his birds do not get along

A tractor is in future plans, it sounds more and more like an appealing idea. Now, seven coops for only 18 hens???

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Make a bird village!!!! There’s never enough! This is my secret dream!

Oh my gosh...I thought I was the only one!! Nice to know I’m not alone in this!

 

[Crazy Chicken Helen]

No amount of coops is too many!

How many coops do we poultry folk generally have?? I am having a third coop, our second 4x6, built and now may have a sweet deal on a fourth coop at least 4x6 in size. How many coops do you all have?? Lol, is this a recipe for chicken math disaster?? Also, can a 4x6 coop be good for say 4 turkeys by themselves?? Lol, aware of needing a larger door but is that the only needed change?

 

[Bocktobery 10]

The answer is how ever many you can keep up with maintenance. But the more the merrier, right?

Not only is there something called “chicken math”, there is something equivalent or the likes thereof that could be called “coop math”, for they go hand in hand. One creates the need for the other. If you thought getting new peeps was a thing, hang on, up next is designing the new coops! Cuz ya got to have the main coop, the rooster bachelor pad coop, the breeding pens (notice the “S” at the end of “penS”...plural), the nursery coop, the hospital coop...did I miss any? ..Oh, and that’s just for the chickens.

I’m beginning to think my My Little Pony addiction as a child has conditioned me psychologically for this. You find yourself needing to have every color and type then next comes getting the whole town and accessories. Ya just can’t comb their hair and the messes are way dirtier.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

All joking aside, I do think it’s wise to have an empty coop at hand for emergencies, if need be. I used to have a smaller second coop that was great for using it in situations such as a broody mother with her chicks or a sick chicken. I had to tear it down when the section of land it was on started to get seasonal flooding. The upkeep wasn’t worth the price/labor. I do miss having it though! It came in handy several times. It’s just difficult to not letting those extra spaces get filled with permanent residents!

I am hoping to build a second large coop but I am weighing pros and cons, financing. When I only had 7 chickens in a large coop/barn, it was very easy to keep clean and because the coop was new, maintenance was simple. Years later, more chickens added meant more frequent cleaning (picture someone making a face of exhaustion here), more amount of bedding ($cha-ching$) and with age (10 years now) come issues like rat infestations, patching holes, roof leaks, wood rot, painting. So more coops COULD mean more work, more money..if not for the few years after it is built, then later.

Really, I think it comes down to maintenance and financing and how much more time and effort you’re willing to put into cleaning. Some people build really inexpensive coops that work for their needs too...ones they don’t mind tearing down when the maintenance issues arise. Lots of options out there. It all depends on what is right and works for you.

 

[Cntrygirldb]

How many coops do we poultry folk generally have?? I am having a third coop, our second 4x6, built and now may have a sweet deal on a fourth coop at least 4x6 in size. How many coops do you all have?? Lol, is this a recipe for chicken math disaster?? Also, can a 4x6 coop be good for say 4 turkeys by themselves?? Lol, aware of needing a larger door but is that the only needed change?

Turkeys need a lot of space to stay healthy. I think the school recommended a 2 sq ft per bird.

As to coops, I have one for all my birds. The entire building is 18 x 30. The front (North)

12 feet is divided into two 12 x 9 coop areas. One has a brooder in it and I use it to brood chicks or to keep mom and babies up until they are fledged and can fly to roost. The other has the nesting boxes and more roosts.

The two coop areas are a metal building with the opening in the building being wire mesh floor to ceiling with a screen door for me to open or close the areas.

The rest of the building is metal with a 6'x18' "window" that is 3 1/2' off the ground. The windows are enclosed with chicken wire.

Hope this helps

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have 6 coops, with one having 4 sections and another with 3, and pens I'm setting up next yearish