Need help with sizing!

[EnnieM]

Hello! I’ve attached a picture - I’d like to make a coop/run very similar to this. Planning for 20 chickens, 16+ weeks, depending on breed. They’ll be locked in at night, in the run during the day, and allowed to free range when I’m at the farm (atleast hours every morning and night)

1. How many/what size nesting boxes? Chicks will mature from bantam size up to 7 lbs. Will six 12x12x12 boxes be okay?

2. I know to have multiple roosting bars at different heights. How many total feet of roosting bars should I include?

3. How many square feet of flooring should I have inside the coop, and in the run?

4. I’m from Wisconsin, but this will ONLY be used in Spring-Fall months (lowest temps around 40, highest around 100.) Should I add anything special? Heater?

5. Lastly, what should I do for ventilation?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Matilda Belle]

Hello! I’ve attached a picture - I’d like to make a coop/run very similar to this. Planning for 20 chickens, 16+ weeks, depending on breed. They’ll be locked in at night, in the run during the day, and allowed to free range when I’m at the farm (atleast hours every morning and night)
That is a pretty small coop for 20 chickens.

1. How many/what size nesting boxes? Chicks will mature from bantam size up to 7 lbs. Will six 12x12x12 boxes be okay? That size is fine. Not sure you'll need that many nest boxes.

2. I know to have multiple roosting bars at different heights. How many total feet of roosting bars should I include? Not sure. I have about 12 feet of roosting bars and mine barely use it (silkies).

3. How many square feet of flooring should I have inside the coop, and in the run? 4 square feet per bird inside and 10 square feet per bird outside in the run. This is the bare minimum. More is better.

4. I’m from Wisconsin, but this will ONLY be used in Spring-Fall months (lowest temps around 40, highest around 100.) Should I add anything special? Heater? I am in Minnesota and only add heat when it's -20 or colder.

5. Lastly, what should I do for ventilation? 1 square foot per bird. You can use gable vents. They sell them at Menards/Home Depot.

 

[rosemarythyme]

First off, that style of coop suits a small backyard flock of maybe 3-6 birds at most. Main reason being it would become unmanageable at larger sizes. I highly recommend a walk in style coop, a shed or something similar is a good starting base for a coop.

1. I personally like slightly bigger boxes (mine are 14.5" cubed internally) but 12" cubed should be fine. For 20 hens 4 to 6 boxes should be enough.

2. Calculate 12" on roost per bird. Roosts do not have to be different heights, some folks keep them all same height to keep squabbling at a minimum, others do different heights so birds can easily ramp up and down or to accommodate birds that might have a harder time flying up.

3. Minimum 4 sq ft per bird in coop, 10 sq ft per bird in run. More space is better - fewer behavioral issues and more flexibility in adding new birds. Even though you're planning on free range there'll be times when birds need to be locked up.

4. You do not need heat at those temps. Providing shade in the summer is something to consider, my chickens begin panting as low as 85 degrees and at 100 degrees you may see some heat stress in the birds.

5. Minimum 1 sq ft per bird or 10% of floor space, whichever is greater, for ventilation. I recommend going above minimum (I'm over 3x minimum). Ideally most ventilation should be placed up high to allow moist air to rise and escape. Roofline is an ideal place for vents. I have a ridge vent (useless in snow), 40 under eave vent holes, louvered gable vent, louvered floor vents, 5 windows.

 

[aart]

I’m from Wisconsin, but this will ONLY be used in Spring-Fall months

What will you do with the bird in winter?

 

[EnnieM]

What will you do with the bird in winter?

We’re building an insulated walk-in coop for winter, already sized and planned out. This coop I posted about is just temporary until fall. Will be modified next year for chicks old enough to move outside, but not old enough to transition to the main coop full time.

 

[aart]

We’re building an insulated walk-in coop for winter, already sized and planned out. This coop I posted about is just temporary until fall. Will be modified next year for chicks old enough to move outside, but not old enough to transition to the main coop full time.

Hope you didn't forget good ventilation....and power for water heater.

Why not just build one big coop, with a separate area for chicks?
Much easier to integrate chicks at 4-6 weeks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[EnnieM]

Hope you didn't forget good ventilation....and power for water heater.

Why not just build one big coop, with a separate area for chicks?
Much easier to integrate chicks at 4-6 weeks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

As much as I’d love to do that, it’s more of a money/time/space thing. We’re also considering doing that for the coop we build in fall, and using the one I’d posted about for my broilers next year. And yes, all of that is included. I know all of the details for building coops after reading for a few months, but I like real-life opinions rather than articles. Articles give wide amounts of information.

 

[aart]

Articles give wide amounts of information.

The article I linked is mine, and it's pretty specific about integrating chicks young.