New chicken coop!!!

[redrooster99]

Ok so I live in Georgia. My chickens can go out of the coop almost all the time, and into the run. I would like to keep about 20 adult chickens at all times. I only have the materials to build an 8x8 coop. The run should be of a good size. So I am wondering if this is do able, I will not keep an aggresive chicken. And the coop will only be used for them to sleep at night, and lay eggs in, as well as protection if I have a series of predator attacks, and have to close them up for a couple days. So is this scenario do able?

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I had 20 in a 5×7 coop. However mine free range from sun up till sun down. I'm in NYS so come winter they moved to an 8×16 coop with an enclosed 24×24 run. As long as they are happy and not fighting you should be ok. Make sure to remove any trouble maker to freezer camp immediately though. Bad behavior is VERY contagious. Best of luck.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Gail Damerow (author of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens) suggests a minimum of 4 square feet per hen in the coop, and at least 6 square feet per hen in the run. So at least 10 square feet per hen total.

I have an 8'x8' coop as well, with an attached 8'x10' run. My chickens free range every day over many acres, except for some snowy days in the winter when they prefer to stay inside.

Based on Gail Damerow's numbers, an 8'x8' coop should be able to comfortably house 14 or 15 birds (taking into account the wall thickness). Admittedly, I do often have 20 or more birds in that coop (chicken math, LOL). Currently there are 17 in it. I can tell you that over the years I have noticed that the less crowded the coop is, the more eggs I get per hen per week. And vice versa. So the feed cost per dozen eggs is definitely less when the coop is less crowded.

So really it is up to you. Any hens with mean or aggressive temperaments will be accentuated in closer quarters, so be sure to keep that in mind when selecting chicks. So for example, I wouldn't suggest keeping a more assertive breed like Rhode Island Reds with a very docile and sight-impaired breed like Polish, because the Polish will get picked on. Try to pick breeds with similar temperaments, or get chicks that are all of one breed. If you pick similar breeds, and give them a big run, I think it should work fine, especially if you can give them a covered area in the run so they don't all dash for the coop when it rains.