How much room do I actually need for 4 chickens?

[ChickenOfSpades]

Hello everyone, I'm a little confused by all the recommendations for required coop/run space. After doing a bunch of reading and searching (here and a few other similar forums/sites), the common rule of thumb seems to be the following (per chicken):

10 sq. ft. of run space
4 sq. ft. of coop space
1 linear foot of roost space

At this stage, I don't particularly want to build a coop on my own, so I've been looking at kits. However, virtually none of the kits follow the guidelines above.

For example, this coop is advertised for 6 chickens: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-mini-defender-coop-mdc001

LxWxH is 76"x36"x48" which is just shy of 20 sq ft of run space...so by the math above, I should only have 2 chickens in it? That's nowhere near the 6 in the product description.


Another example from a different brand: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/precision-xl-superior-construction-annex-coop-37077d

This product says it will hold 10-15 chickens, and it has dimensions of 103.5"x56"x57.6"....this comes out to about 40 sq ft of run space. So does this coop really only hold 4 chickens?!

More space = better, sure. But that is a HUGE disparity between the chicken coop manufacturers and the backyard chicken community.

Realistically, I will never have more than 4 chickens (due to local laws/ordinances, yard space available, and not needing more than 4 chickens for my little family). So how much space is really required for them? I imagine there's some happy medium guideline. Thanks!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Pre-fab coops are way small. They are usually only big enough for 2, maybe 3. Maybe bantams. The guidelines are even a little small, in my experience, especially if the birds will remain enclosed. My coop/run feels cramped, and my birds have more than twice the 4 sq ft of coop & 10 sq ft of run space. Trust us when we say go bigger. Smaller areas lead to behavior problems, increased problems with cleanliness, and additional health concerns.

If you don't want to build (and I don't blame you!), consider converting a shed. I used a 4x8 resin shed for a while when we were in the process of moving. I added poop boards, installed a 2x4 a roost, cut lots more ventilation, and put in a couple of nesting boxes. It worked well! My run is a walk in dog kennel, but if you only have 4, you won't need a huge one. My current coop is an 8'x8' converted wooden shed, and I LOVE it!

You can also look for things like children's small playhouses on Craigslist and convert those. Or maybe buy a pre-fab and convert the coop and run into one big coop and add a run.

I've built, and I've converted sheds. I'll probably never build again.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The disparity is the manufacturers are using numbers closer to commercial set ups, so bare minimum. If you've ever seen photos of chickens in commercial farms, you'll see how much poorer their overall condition is in comparison to photos of well kept backyard or farm chickens.

The 4-10 recommendation you see on here is bare minimum. Many of us would recommend more (and climate can further affect that) - I'd recommend 15-20 sq ft of run space per bird, if you have the space for it. Even for a very small flock of 3-5 birds I'd recommend a minimum set up size of 100 sq ft, which could be a 10x10 dog kennel with a smaller coop inside. More room for the flock, but also more room for accessories, clutter, space for humans to move around with ease inside, etc.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

My chickens will happily squish into a small COOP space (when they are an established flock and have worked out all the details) but they would not manage in a smaller run space, and mine is huge. I've had a few cheap pre-fab coop/run that I use for broodies, or if one needs to be seperated. I would never keep even one chicken locked up in there long, the broodies and chicks are out within 1 week.

For example, the omlet go coop says it's OK for 4 chickens, I would not put more than two in there (I have one I use as a broody space).

 

[Amka]

Wow, I thought I was doing okay. I’m well into my coop build. Putting 6 chickens in a Bella Coop build from cleancoops.com. It is 4x4 and I was going to make the run bigger than it’s “optional” suggested build. Because one of the nest boxes would have been on the south side I removed it and increased the other nest box size (on north side) so it has 3 cubicles. I will probably open part of the yard to them sometimes. It also has that space underneath does that count? I hope it’s enough. Also it’s on a slope. I’ll post pictures and ask questions tomorrow.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was going to make the run bigger than it’s “optional” suggested build. I will probably open part of the yard to them sometimes. It also has that space underneath does that count?

How big is your planned run? It's not usually as difficult to expand or add on to a run so even if you've begun your build you can still alter it.

Space under the coop counts for run space as long as the birds always have access. "Yard sometimes" does not - if you have behavioral issues, an hour or two of yard time will not do much to fix the issues.

 

[townchicks]

It depends. It varies depending on your climate, how much time they actually get outside the run, what breed and size of chickens you have, and what you really consider to be a good quality of life for your chickens. I will say, there is not a prefab coop I've ever seen that had an adequate run for full time confinement for even two chickens. I have four large fowl chickens and while their coop is relatively small (4x4 feet) they only use it for sleeping and laying. They have a 10x12 ft covered fully in closed run and that seems too small to me, so that opens up into a fenced and net covered yard that is roughly 12x15 feet. I live in a mild climate so my chickens are not stuck inside by snow. I started out with 2 chickens in a prefab coop that was said to house 4. It was quickly clear that they needed a bigger run, and when I added a third hen, the girls made it clear that the coop was not big enough. So I built a bigger coop. So what I'm really saying is, go bigger than you think you'll ever need, because you will likely end up thinking it's not big enough. Oh, and read the reviews on that TSC coop.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Climate does make a big difference! If you have a mild climate, a smaller coop isn't necessarily bad. Also, a covered and secure run makes a difference. My birds spend very little time in the coop - just to sleep and lay eggs because my run is covered and as predator safe as I can make it. In warm weather, I leave the coop door open, and some of my chickens sleep in the run instead of the coop.

My run is about 200 sq ft. I have 11 chickens and 5 ducks. It feels cramped sometimes with those big ol' duckies in there, so I fenced off and covered another 650 sq ft for them. That feels much better, which is good, because I'll soon have another 8 in there - whew! So I'm expanding that 650 to more like 1600.

Chicken. Math. Is. Real.

 

[3KillerBs]

The prefab manufacturers' claims are based on legal minimums for commercially-kept birds -- who are intensively managed in ways that backyarders cannot duplicate (forced-air ventilation automatically coupled to temperature and ammonia sensors), and do not want to duplicate (debeaking to prevent cannibalism). They are not *exactly* lies, but they are deceptive.

This coop was designed to meet all the minimums for 4 hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/ At one point I had 5 in there happily BUT I also had approximately 600 feet of run space in an exceedingly mild climate.

The 4 square foot per hen is the size of my doormat:

The 10 square feet in the run is the size of that little, fiberglass, tub/shower combo that you find in the hall bath in a manufactured home.

Just to give you an idea of what actual chickens look like in a space with their equipment, this photo shows 3 cull cockerels in a 4x8 space. At this age they're just slightly smaller than an adult hen of their breed:

No one has ever regretted making their coop and run bigger.

 

[Aunt Angus]

The prefab manufacturers' claims are based on legal minimums for commercially-kept birds -- who are intensively managed in ways that backyarders cannot duplicate (forced-air ventilation automatically coupled to temperature and ammonia sensors), and do not want to duplicate (debeaking to prevent cannibalism). They are not *exactly* lies, but they are deceptive.

This coop was designed to meet all the minimums for 4 hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/ At one point I had 5 in there happily BUT I also had approximately 600 feet of run space in an exceedingly mild climate.

The 4 square foot per hen is the size of my doormat:

The 10 square feet in the run is the size of that little, fiberglass, tub/shower combo that you find in the hall bath in a manufactured home.

Just to give you an idea of what actual chickens look like in a space with their equipment, this photo shows 3 cull cockerels in a 4x8 space. At this age they're just slightly smaller than an adult hen of their breed:

No one has ever regretted making their coop and run bigger.

Awesome pic to illustrate!