How many hens fit?

[ChellyRod]

Hi all. This is my coop. I was told it was previously used for some rabbits. I use it for my 3 hens. I've noticed people put many hens in a coop that looks to be too small for many hens but I was curious if there is a general rule? How many hens fit?

 

[123RedBeard]

Kinda hard to tell ... can they access the upper level?

What breed are they?

Bantams or Large Fowl?

What are the measurements on the ground?

Do you let them out in the yard?

Most people consider the minumum to be 4 square feet per bird for the coop, PLUS 10 sq ft per bird in the run ... of course it depends on the breed and size, but also the individual temperament ... myself ... I like to atleast double the "minumum" ... can't really have too much space!

Roughly where do you live?

 

[ChellyRod]

They're large birds. One rhode island red, one wyandotte, one americana! And yes they acsess the top level. There's a door at the bottom that I open for them to run out into their run I made them

 

[aart]

That will fit....one full grown large fowl hen.

How do they get between upper and lower levels?
That hole in floor circled in red?

OK for tiny chicks, but a grown bird will not fit thru there.

 

[ChellyRod]

I have 3 now and they get in and out just fine?

 

[wamtazlady]

Your coop does seem rather small. My coop is 6' by 8' for 12 chickens. The run is 8' by 14'. Is some of the coop space also taken up by a nesting box?

Chickens can live in a smaller area than the 4 square feet per bird that is suggested. However, there are often problems with doing that. The birds can get stressed and start to fight and even pick each others' feathers. A lot depends on your weather. If you live where there is winter then you might have more problems problems than if you live where it is warm. Many chickens will not walk in snow which means that large run area you have will not be used. Three birds in the small coop and small area under the coop will probably get a bit bored and stressed in the small area.

My first coop was too small for my birds. It was not an ideal situation but it was all I had at the time. It worked for a time. The next year a larger coop was built. Now the little coop is used as a grow out coop for chicks.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

I agree that it looks pretty small for three hens. What are the dimensions? I personally like to have 5sf per chicken of indoor space and 40sf of outdoor/run space per bird but I'm a bit over the top. I make sure to let mine out just before official sunrise when it's becoming light and don't put them back in until sunset. That being said, I also free range mine in our upper three acres for a few hours a day to ensure happiness. They used to get bored and fight a bit before the free ranging started despite having a dozen and a half things to entertain them (climbing structures, roosts, veggie tetherball, etc.). I would worry that they could potentially start having behavior problems when in such close quarters, but at the same time I have 30 so lots more room for attitude.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I would happily use that as a brooder, but its way too small for three full sized chickens. As @aart said, I think it would comfortably fit 1 chicken. I wouldn't be too surprised if you had a pecking problem after a time. Basically they'll just get grumpy at each other for always being underfoot and on top of one another.