How much room do 5 hens need?

[Mylissa Conner]

I am new to chickens and I am wondering if my coop and run is going to be big enough. My coop is 4' x 5' and the run is 5' x 12'. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[MagpieDucks]

!!! Lots of great peeps here! Make sure you check out the learning center!

As for your question, it really depends on the living conditions. Will they be free ranging in the day? What breeds will you be having? Cochins and Jersey Giants are going to need a lot more room than Silkies and d'Uccles. The absolute minimum for medium sized birds (sex-links, australorp, faverolle, etc) is about 3 sq ft. in the coop and 10 in the run. What about winter? chickens tend to spend more time in the coop than in the summer.

Hope this helps!

VP123

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!

Here is a good article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Generally birds need about 5 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run. The more room the better. I give my birds even more room than this. The lowest in the order NEVER has enough room. LOL

Good luck and welcome to our roost!!

 

[drumstick diva]

Also when counting footage, the 5 sq.feet per bird is excluding nest boxes & roosts.