Is this enough space for 8 birds?

[aart]

The main concern I have is how well the birds will be able to maneuver. If they jump off the roost, are they going to crash into a wall and get injured? I assume you plan on having the roost down the 9 foot side, and not a bunch of two foot long roosts, right? And the roosting bars need to have a foot of clearance from the wall it's set nearest. That means you will have a roosting bar running right down the middle of the coop. That's going to make cleaning a real challenge. And it won't leave any room for a ladder to help them down, off the roost.
2 feet just isn't wide enough. Either clean out the rest of the shed, or build something else for the chickens.

X10

 

[Stephine]

I guess if you put a two foot wide ladder roost up one of the narrow sides you could solve the problem of getting down from the roosts - you will of course have squabbles about the top roosts. For eight chickens you should have at least 32 sq feet in the coop and that is when they also have access to a run all day. You have 18 sq feet. I think it would be best for you to wait until you can adequately take care of the animals before you get them. Trying to make do by crowding them will only give you other problems with them, leading you to have to spend money and time on fixing health/behavior issues or losing birds (and money).

 

[Selsley]

we re-purposed our home made green house into a shed and built the coop in one corner. its about 6.5foot by 5foot or 2m x 1.6m we use a ramp to get to the nests and perches
the coop walls and nests were built from pallet slats i got free when i strimmed a neighbours land, the frame was old timbers used for a shed footings that i cut down to 3"x3"
the footings i had left i split into quarters for posts and the 50 slats i had left we built a 35' fence to border the rear patio, so look on the net on the for sale sites some people offer free to collector

the chickens get to free range the whole back garden,

we started with a trio of bantams, one died coz she used to jump through the fence to hide her eggs and the dog played with her,
a trio of araucana (french bred)
and 5 other hens, one of which died soon after purchase due to her inability to walk and feed properly, (my sister now asks to see the chickens in their enviroment and doesnt buy from a guy in a car park) lesson learnt,
and a goose we were given.
theres enough room that the grass always stays short, although the goose likes to patrol the fence next to the patio and turn it to mud so we used wood chippings to make a path and it seems to work well,
we have trees round the border so theres always some shade, but they seem to like sitting under the little roof i made to go over their food tray, in the middle of the garden, its funny seeing 6 chickens sitting under a 2x2' square shadow,or huddled up when it rains.
we recently thinned the trees out and have a bit of a pile of branches which the chickens now use like a hide and go seek/climbing frame. they are always under or on top of it, it seems a shame to clean it up.
the far corner is always under shade, no grass grows and is somewhat protected from rain. there used to be an old wood pile there so the dirt it like bagged compost u get from the garden center.
they are always scratching about getting insects or rolling about having a dust bath. then theres the compost heap, old plants from the veg patch, table left overs and peelings. used to sit there just rotting, now the chickens scratch about in there taking what they want, its now breaking down just nicely, with the added extra of chicken poop.

 

[Selsley]

quote from livinghomegrown.com

As an urban homesteader who owns city chickens, I get asked a lot of questions about the care and maintenance of my flock. I’ve noticed that I get the same questions over and over, so I thought today’s post should address some of those questions.
Here we go…

1 – How much coop space should I have?

Now if you ask my “diva” chicken Charlotte this question, she will tell you that each chicken should have:

• 1,000 square feet per chicken
• Their own unlimited stash of meal worms
• A personal “chicken” massage therapist

But the truth is, that for chickens that free range out in the garden during the day, you only need about 3-4 square feet in the coop/run area for each bird. They will really be spending most of their time outside the coop and only using the inside area for the nesting boxes in the day and roosts at night.
So for 4 chickens that free range, you only need a coop/run area that measures about: 4 by 4 feet (16 square ft). But it is always best to give them as much space as you can.
For chickens that will be inside the run all the time (never free ranging), you need to bump that number up to 10 square feet per bird. So now those 4 chickens need a coop/run that is 6 x 7 feet (42 square feet). It is always best if you can give them a little outdoor time each day to look for bugs and get fresh air. But if that is not possible, look at how much space you have and only get the number of birds you can accommodate. Having too many birds in too small of a space can cause health problems.
2 – How many nesting boxes do I need?

Trust me, the hens can share. You don’t need a box for each bird. And even if you did, you would find that they would probably all use the same box anyway. I find that one nesting box for every three hens works great.

 

[junebuggena]

You must also take into consideration that the OP lives in Ohio, where winter weather will keep the flock indoors for days on end. Storms can last several days, during which time, they will be stuck in the coop.

 

[Jenna14Chicken]

I....I....I don't no what to say or do. I have no money, my parents have no money, I want the best for my birds and everything everyone else wants for there pets.But my parents don't listen to me and I am very capable of building on myself but my parents would probably get mad at me and I already have enough going on right now I don't need to be yelled at every time they go outside. I have plans to add on but I can't. I love them very much and want the best,but they bought the birds and put it all on me. Even though I love my birds and they're my life and it's my responsibility to take care of them.I just don't no what to do.I suppose the best thing to do is talk to my mom and dad AGAIN, and if they don't do It, I will go out there tomorrow and add a few feet on with his wood. At this point I don't care what they say I want the best for my girls and will always. They are my LIFE,I can't just get rid of it or ruin it. but thank you guys anyways for yelling at me and giving me advice.

 

[junebuggena]

Honestly, if you can't provide proper housing for them, rehome them. Sorry, but sometimes that's just the way it is. If they are your life, as you claim, figuring out how to get them adequate housing shouldn't be an issue. You will either build them something, or you will give them to someone who will house them properly. Being a responsible owner means doing whatever it takes to meet an animal's needs. If you can't, for one reason or another, the only responsible thing to do is to find them a new home with someone else.
This is the reality of owning an animal.

 

[Flock Master64]

For every chicken you have you should have at least 2 square feet per chicken

 

[junebuggena]

For every chicken you have you should have at least 2 square feet per chicken

If they are bantams....

 

[Jenna14Chicken]

What if I add a few feet in the shed? Like out 1-2 more feet? Would they be ok then?