Is this overkill??

[Thorn_shrike]

Hi! I’m slowly putting together plans for a large coop/run combo. It will look something like the pics I’m attaching, with the coop part being enclosed in the run but lifted high enough off the ground to still have the area underneath accessible to the chickens. The overall footprint of the whole thing will be 8x20 ( eventually I’ll add another 8x16 enclosure that meets this one at a 90° angle). I’ve laid out some posts so I could get an idea of what 8x8 would be like for the coop itself. It looks wayyyyy too big for the number of chickens I have, but 8x8 wouldn’t even be giving them 5sqft per bird inside. Could I get by making the coop more narrow like 8x4 or something so I can lean all the way in to clean?

Basically I am asking if a smaller coop size is ok for 15ish birds because my run will be so large (fully enclosed with a roof)

 

[sourland]

Love your user name. If you get inclement weather in the winter which forces the birds to stay in the coop for extended periods, the smaller coop could very well cause problems.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd want a walk-in coop for more than 8 chickens. Yeah, that pretty much limits a lean-in coop to 4' x 8'. One of the big mistakes people make is to try to squeeze too many chickens into too little space. I find the more I crowd them the more behavior problems I have, the harder I have to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues that come up.

Chickens do not have a concept of coop space versus run space. All they care about is having enough room when they need it. If you build it so the run and coop are predator proof and you never close the pop door so they have all that run space available you can get by with less coop space. In certain circumstances that can work.

But in Kentucky there can be a problem with that. In winter when you get snow, ice, and cold winds the outside space is not always available. They can easily be stuck in that small space for a few days, that's when you can really have behavioral problems. Problems like fighting, feather picking, and cannibalism.

I like to build in dimensions of 4' and 8'. Most standard (less expensive) building materials come in those dimensions. 8 feet2x4's. 4x8 plywood. If you use those dimensions you have less waste. So, yes, I like the dimensions you are mentioning. 8x8, 8x16, 8x20. Even the 4x8 but that is not going to be big enough with that design.

For 15 hens you will probably want 4 nests a minimum of 12" x 12" each. You don't have to have 12" of roost space for each bird, with 15 hens they can roost closer than that, but you don't want to squeeze the too tightly. In an 8' building I'd want two 8' long roosts. It's efficient. Two 6' long roosts would probably work. By the time you add food and water in there you quickly have a need for more space. You don't want them pooping in the food, water or nests from the roosts.

I strongly urge you to make the enclosed "coop" portion a walk-in maybe 8x8 or 6x10 if not larger. I know, 10' is not divisible by 8' or 4' but the cut-offs can probably be used for nests or something else. That way you can leave the run open with wire mesh. You can try covering the run and walling it in to keep out snow and a cold wind and go with a smaller coop section, but that could wind up more expensive and harder to clean and maintain. I think it will work a lot better if you don't try to squeeze it down too much. If you are aggravated from working harder than you need to you probably won't do a good job and will not enjoy it.

 

[Hoader_of_Hens]

My husband is in the process of building a similar sized coop for our 10 chickens (4 of which bantams) ... Our enclosed coop is 8x8 with 4 nesting boxes and the covered run is 8x16.
I do not think that 8x8 is overkill, as a previous poster said, inclement weather can keep them coop bound for a few days and you definitely do not want to encounter behavioral issues.

 

[Thorn_shrike]

My husband is in the process of building a similar sized coop for our 10 chickens (4 of which bantams) ... Our enclosed coop is 8x8 with 4 nesting boxes and the covered run is 8x16.
I do not think that 8x8 is overkill, as a previous poster said, inclement weather can keep them coop bound for a few days and you definitely do not want to encounter behavioral issues.

I think it just surprised me seeing how big it was laid out and framed. I’m going to try for an 8x8 walk in coop

 

[Sally PB]

walk in coop

Your back will thank you.