Nubies Raising Chickens

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JessicaL

JessicaL

Hatching
5 Years
Aug 10, 2014
6
0
9
Hello!

I have been using this site since my husband and I purchased chicks in June. We have been learning new things in every step. I decided to finally join because many questions are being raised as to our chickens permanent home.

We have six chickens (I think they are pullets right now?). Depending on how we do with these, we will get more in the spring for a total of around 12 or so.

Currently, our coup is attached to our house. The dimensions are 12' x 3' with a feeder box, 6' x 6" and a nesting box that is two layers, 6 on top and 6 on the bottom. We just decided to let our chickens free range.

Is our coop to narrow?
Will it work for them in the winter?
We get quite a bit of snow.
 


The rest of the left wall is missing and we need to put in some roosts higher than the nesting boxes. In the back you can sort of see we put on in but it's too low and I have only seen one use it at a time.
 
You might just make it with 6 birds but I think that 12 would be pushing the envelope. And by the way, you don't need all those nesting boxes for 6 hens. One or two is sufficient. And don't put your roosts too high unless you a have chicken ladder or something that they can climb up on. They can injure themselves jumping down.
Good luck.
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Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. The recommended coop floor space is 4 sq. ft. per bird (minimum). That means for 6 birds, you need at least 24 sq. ft.of floor space, and you have 36 sq. ft., so you are okay with your current number. However, if you expand you flock to 12 birds, you will need a minimum of 48 sq. ft. of floor space (again, more would be better), so you will need to enlarge your coop. Also, as chickenhound suggested, for 6 hens, you only need two nest boxes. Please feel free to ask any more questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 
Agree with everyone else. You can squeeze 6 chickens in there, but no way 12. Too many nesting boxes, and lower roosting poles.
 
Thank you for the input. The nesting boxes were free from a friend which is why we have them. I didn't know we would only need a few though.
 
Don't feel bad. When I first started getting serious about raising chickens last spring, I had 12 birds and my neighbor gave me a 10 compartment nesting box setup that had been sitting in the woods for 15 or more years. It was a bit overkill at the time but we now have 41 hens in that coop and it is not uncommon to see all nesting boxes occupied. Sometimes with more than one bird!!! Have fun...that's what it is all about.
 

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