New to BYC: How many chickens will my coop comfortably hold? *Pictures included

[Fethre]

Hello!
My boyfriend & I finally finished building a coop & run! This is a large coop that is 12ft x 5ft wide, and 6ft tall to the peak. How many chickens can it hold? Is there anything I can add to it to make it.. better?




The door/entrance is removable.

Edited to add: The coldest it gets in my area is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest is about 110 degrees. Rainfall is minimal & no snow. Not sure if this information is required for tips on how to improve my coop.
Also: Predators are not a problem, the coop is inside my fenced in back yard along with my bunnies who've been there for about a year with absolutely no harm.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would put no more than 6 large fowl or 10 bantams in it, myself.

 

[sn0wwhite]

I believe it will depend a bit on your breeds (smaller versus giant) and if they get any free range time, but I like the rule of thumb of 4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird of run. So the 12x5 run should cover 6 birds well. But how big is the coop part not counting the nest box space?

It looks nice and functional!

 

[Fethre]

6 large chickens sounds about right, then.
I'm home all day, so I was thinking of letting them all free range several hours daily.
The coop part is 3ft x 3ft not including the nest boxes.

Another question, about how many chicks will I be able to raise in this coop until they're old enough to tell apart by gender?

And thank you Sn0wWhite! It only cost about $150 to build. I'm considering building another coop/run (much larger one), but not until spring.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Welcome Fethre to BYC!

Are you the same person that builds these out in San Tan? I have seen them on CL.

Stop by and say hello to our thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/31227/arizona-chickens/39710#post_12025388. Lots of AZ people here to chat with and share with.

 

[Fethre]

Mama Hen Chris, I am not the one who builds them, but I did see this coop on craigslist as well, and I decided to build it instead of buying it. And thank you, I'm glad to be a part of BYC!

I'll check out that thread!

 

[chicken pickin]

I agree that the run is large enough to hold 6 chickens but the coop portion being 3x3 is only 9 sqft. That would house 3 chickens max. Theres no way 6 chickens can roost in that small space and also on days of very bad weather 6 chickens can not fit hanging out in the coop portion all day and night. Just my opinion though.

Oh also just a tip. Your hens will likely lay there eggs all in the same nest box maybe 2. You can remove the other boxes for more floor space.

 

[Fethre]

What if I just completely remove the coop part, and build something else? What size is large enough for 6 chickens?

 

[Fethre]

Well, i'm browsing the site now for coop plans! I'll get back to this thread when I find something.

 

[heidisue]

If you want 6 large fowl then shoot for a 5 x 5 coop (going with your 12 x 5 run dimensions). Also, add some roost space have fun browsing the coops!