Is having a big chicken coop okay for small flock?

[sarahssilkies]

Hi all,

Right now my coops dimensions are: 76L x 28.75D x 44.25H in. This includes a lower level run and then an upstairs enclosure with roosting boxes (I’ve attached a photo). The coop is advertised as being for 4 chickens.

I currently have 4 silkie hens (about 7 months old) and am planning on adding 2 more in the Spring.

I am looking to have a family friend custom build me a bigger coop - especially with the Winter weather approaching.

Is it bad to have a big coop with only 4 hens? Will this hinder them more than help? Is it better to be in a smaller space for them to snuggle together in the colder months?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Bigger is always better. Where are you located? I personally have only seen chickens sitting close on the roosts in winter. I don't see them snuggling during the day for warmth. Each bird keeps itself warm, they don't warm each other. Definitely go bigger.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

With the photo, it looks tiny but that is my opinion

 

[sylviethecochin]

My coops dimensions are: 76L x 28.75D x 44.25H in.

Knock off two inches depth for wall, and you're a little more than two feet across. 76 inches length = about two and a half feet long, once you knock off the nest box and the "run." [EDT: Make that two feet long. That makes a four-foot square space. That's not a coop. That's an isolation pen for sick birds.]

I might keep four Old English Game bantams in a coop that size. Definitely go bigger; my chickens would be killing each other in there over the winter.

 

[Rick M]

Our coop I made is really big for the amount of chickens (9) we currently have its 12' x 14'. We plan on getting more in the spring when other breeds are available. There is plenty of room for them to spread out with a couple roosting bars and 9 nesting boxes. After having a small prefab coop they seem to prefer the bigger square footprint they have in the big coop. In my opinion neither is better for chicken housing, less pecking/bickering issues.

 

[sarahssilkies]

Bigger is always better. Where are you located? I personally have only seen chickens sitting close on the roosts in winter. I don't see them snuggling during the day for warmth. Each bird keeps itself warm, they don't warm each other. Definitely go bigger.

I’m in NH!

 

[Col1948]

I only have 5 hens and my coop is a converted shed it's 6foot by 4foot, easy to clean with being able to walk in.
My birds free range in the garden, I don't have a run.

 

[aart]

Is it bad to have a big coop with only 4 hens?

Is it better to be in a smaller space for them to snuggle together in the colder months?

No! Go big! How big will new coop be?

Smaller space to 'hold heat' is a fallacy.
They need good ventilation, but protected from drafts in winter, all year around.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1048597/ventilated-but-free-of-drafts

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I’m in NH!

Another thing to keep in mind that if snow sticks around all winter and you get storms, than there can be days and even weeks where your chickens will not want to go out. So the coop needs to be big enough for them to move around, and keep busy, otherwise you could start to see problems. Bored birds can become troublemakers.

 

[fur-mum]

Bigger is better! For the health and happiness of your chickens as well as chicken math!

ETA: Manufacturers always way overestimate the number of chickens their coops can hold, even if you only have bantams.