How much room do chickens need

[Ronan0404]

I’m interested in getting backyard chickens and I’ve been reading about how much space they need. I have not got a clear answer so how much in coop space do they need if they will only have access to a run most of the time and how much space in the run should they have also I live in Canada do the winters are harsh if that effects how much space they should have

 

[CapricornFarm]

I think the rule of thumb is 4 square feet in the coop and 10 square feet in the run. More space is better because once you become addicted to chickens , you will want more.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The recommended minimum to start with is 4 sq ft in coop, 10 sq ft in the run. That's open floor space minus nest boxes, feeders, etc. Obviously the larger you can go the better.

Due to your climate you should strive to go larger in the coop, like 6, maybe 8 sq ft., as there will be days where the chickens won't want to go outside due to bad weather and boredom leads to behavioral issues.

 

[snow5164]

I’m in Manitoba Canada and we have the 4 sq ft coop per bird. Our birds go out many winter days as we block the wind with plastic ....

Depends on size of birds too, run space we are larger then the 10 ft suggested space .

We insulted our coop floors, walls and drop ceiling with foam sheets , we use sand on floors and nestingbox , we do run a small milking heater from peavey Mart set to 0’just above freezing hung by water, keeps the eggs coming! And 12 hours of light from a 100 watt bulb

Good luck and please fellow Canadian if you have any more questions ask when you stay below -35 for many days you can’t advise unless you’ve lived it , knowledge does come from experience after all

 

[Ronan0404]

The recommended minimum to start with is 4 sq ft in coop, 10 sq ft in the run. That's open floor space minus nest boxes, feeders, etc. Obviously the larger you can go the better.

Due to your climate you should strive to go larger in the coop, like 6, maybe 8 sq ft., as there will be days where the chickens won't want to go outside due to bad weather and boredom leads to behavioral issues.

What about having the chickens body temperature regulate the coop temperature in the cold

 

[Lazy Farmer]

4 sqft is minimum. The more the better. Can never be too big.

Geographically speaking, don't forget the term "snow load" in your neck of the woods.

 

[lazy gardener]

What about having the chickens body temperature regulate the coop temperature in the cold

The thought that the chickens will warm the coop in the winter is a myth. The birds trap a layer of air in the down under their outer feathers. This is what keeps them warm in the winter.

I strongly suggest that you look at the "Wood's" coop. This is the gold standard for cold weather coops. It provides lots of ventilation and natural lighting, while keeping the birds from being in a draft when they are perching.

A very important consideration for northern climates is that the coop must be tall enough to allow adequate ventilation. The little pre-fabs, and the short coops on stilts simply do not have enough vertical space to provide the ventilation required to keep the birds from suffering frost bite.

I also suggest that your coop have access to electricity. Not for heat, but to keep the water thawed in the winter, and also to provide supplemental light if you choose to go that route. Power in the coop will also allow you to brood your chicks in the coop with a MHP set up. For more info re: brooding in the coop, check @Blooie 's article and thread re: MHP brooding.

 

[lazy gardener]

An other consideration for northern coops. If your nest box is designed to have outside access, build the boxes INSIDE the coop, instead of designing them to hang on the outside of the coop. Make them plenty big so you can put LOTS of hay in them. This attention to detail will go a long way towards keeping your eggs from freezing.

 

[snow5164]

You can actually have too much room in a coop, if you have a 8x8 coop with 5 birds they don’t snuggle up and fill the roost bar up . My 15 birds are much more comfortable then my 8,both have the same size coop

As far as having only heated water in our “ northern” climates and not a 0’ degree heater , maybe if you lived here you could advise , but I want eggs in the winter , so we heat a little with a thermostat and a good sealed heater... we all make choices ,

Have fun

 

[snow5164]

An other consideration for northern coops. If your nest box is designed to have outside access, build the boxes INSIDE the coop, instead of designing them to hang on the outside of the coop. Make them plenty big so you can put LOTS of hay in them. This attention to detail will go a long way towards keeping your eggs from freezing.

we lined our nesting boxes with foam sheets , had one frozen egg because it was on the floor for days, filled boxes with sand and shavings on top .