How often tshould I change bedding?

[wilkinsfarm2020]

8x18 is going to be tight for 40 chickens. Are you planning on extending or choosing to raise some just until butcher weight? You could get away with raising them to butcher weight for 8-10 weeks in a tighter space, but they certainly will not be happy.

EDIT: Neverming, I just seen in your first post that you intend to expand the coop once the new birds come of age.

We won't be keeping all 40.
About 20 right now are cockerels. They will all be meat birds. So we will have about 20-25 hens and thats counting 2 roosters in the coop.

 

[wilkinsfarm2020]

I think 8x18 should be just about big enough unless you have long periods of very cold/cold + windy temps, where the flock does not want to go outside.

You'll need to add a lot more roosts though. I'd advise you ditch the diagonal roosts and run them width or lengthwise, as those tight corners in a diagonal aren't usable space.

The entire left side of the coop is a long work bench type thing

With multiple shelves. Our two hens roost at the very top atm on the roosting bars he made.

They free range from about noon till dark.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The entire left side of the coop is a long work bench type thing

With multiple shelves. Our two hens roost at the very top atm on the roosting bars he made.

Since now I've read you're not keeping all 40 you don't have to go nuts with the roosts. I'd still make sure to measure that you have maybe 30' or so of usable roost space for the birds you will be keeping.

 

[wilkinsfarm2020]

I meant 18×8 not 8×18.