New Chicken Mommy and am stressing over coop/run!

[hodom]

My husband and I ordered a small coop, with the intentions of having 2-3 backyard chickens that we were hatching. Well.... We got the eggs... A few more than we intended and ended up with 4 chicks. We then, out of impulse and addiction bought 5 pullets to go with them so they could grow up together. Anyway, after finding new homes for roosters it looks like we will end up with 7 hens. I am confused about the size of the coop/run. Our run is 96 sq ft. The small coop is secured into the side of it and we were going to get another coop to secure into the other side. What size does the coop need to be for 6 hens of its mainly for sleeping/laying as they will be free to go between that and the large run dying the day? I am attaching a picture of what we have so far. We still have to attach the tin roof but you can see the idea. We are in SC and it's 100 degrees here now and in 80s at night and I'm ready to get them outside as quickly as possible.... They are currently in a brooder in my living room... Thinking about putting my 3 kids in coop and giving chicks their rooms

 

[CluckerCottage]

MINIMUM of 4 square feet per chicken in the coop but it's best to go as big as you can.
Chicken math will prevail. I have a coop the size of a mother in law apartment.
I cracked up at the size difference regarding coop to run. The coop looks like a dollhouse.

Heat/moisture rises of course so cut some ventilation holes in the coop, covered with hardware cloth.
Good luck to you!

 

[hodom]

MINIMUM of 4 square feet per chicken in the coop but it's best to go as big as you can.
Chicken math will prevail. I have a coop the size of a mother in law apartment.
I cracked up at the size difference regarding coop to run. The coop looks like a dollhouse.
Heat/moisture rises of course so cut some ventilation holes in the coop, covered with hardware cloth.
Good luck to you!

Thanks. Yeah, I know the run is huge in comparison. We built the run after we increased the size. I couldn't return our little coop so we decided to incorporate and just add another coop. I've read such a mixture of information, like if they are out all day and just in coop for sleeping it doesn't need to be as big. We wanted to free range but aren't permitted in our area, and have predators out the wazoo. We have 2 pair of nesting Hawks in our yard and I pair of bald eagles in our culdesac!

 

[CluckerCottage]

Your run is awesome! I can imagine a chicken swing, outdoor roosting bars, a sandbox full of wood ash and DE.....
I think it's a great size!
As for coop size, ours is huge. 3/4 of it is for the big girls and the remaining quarter is the brooder. It's partitioned by a reinforced screen door and there are two separate runs.
When our pullet/rooster/mature hen integration is complete (in the next week or so), the screen door will be propped open with cinder blocks for extra space.
Next spring we'll do it all over again I'm sure.
Chicken math.

 

[Kmac1]

MINIMUM of 4 square feet per chicken in the coop but it's best to go as big as you can.
Chicken math will prevail. I have a coop the size of a mother in law apartment.
I cracked up at the size difference regarding coop to run. The coop looks like a dollhouse.
Heat/moisture rises of course so cut some ventilation holes in the coop, covered with hardware cloth.
Good luck to you!

Explain chicken math. I keep seeing the term used.

 

[TerryH]

Explain chicken math. I keep seeing the term used.

Chickens are like potato chips. No matter how many you have you always want more. Most folks start out with 3 or 4 and end up with many more.

 

[amanda1]

How high is your run? Just curious for my own future plans. I heard a run should be 10 sq. ft. per chicken, so I think you have enough space. I think just adding another coop is a great idea. I would put some things in the run for them such as a sand bath, some roosts and maybe even a covered space where they could get out of the sun.