Our homamade coop
- Thread starter SteveAntilles
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- Thread starter
- #12
Quote:
Uh, no, that's wrong. You're thinking cubic feet I believe. Length x width has always been the way to get square footage.
Uh, no, that's wrong. You're thinking cubic feet I believe. Length x width has always been the way to get square footage.
RChicks is actually right on regarding the square footage. The best rule of thumb is 4 sq. feet per standard size chicken for an inside coop area.
Two sq. feet is too small for the standard breeds - that might work for all bantams but I'd go with 3 sq. ft. for even them.
This all potentially becomes an issue during times when the chickens have to be locked up for a day or two or three... during bad weather (like snowstorms). That small of square footage can cause the birds to stress and become feather pickers - messing with each other when they are locked up for any length of time.
Since you have the outside run (which should allow 10 sq. feet per standard chicken) and they have access to it all the time (except at night which is good) you shouldn't have any problems until that day comes when they won't go outside in a storm.
I am saying all of this through personal experience. I have enough space for 8.75 standard chickens. One of mine is a small breed - I have nine chickens in that space. So, I thought I would be Ok since I have a 650 sq. outside run for them plus they free range many days each week. I had zero problems until they had to be locked in the coop for two days due to a blizzard this last winter. One of my poor girls got the bad end of the deal and now has no neck feathers and is missing feathers on her back in several places! I feel so awful for "squeezing in" that extra chicken or two.
I'm adding onto my coop right now and won't overload it again.
One thing that I found helped me girls to stop pecking at each other was to keep a flock block inside the coop so they could peck at that instead. It stopped my girls from continuing to harass my one chicken but... that may have worked just because I'm right at the edge of the "acceptable" limit of chickens in my space.
Hope this helps.
I do love your coop and run ... you did a great job on it. Glad you covered the run with better wire.
Edited for spelling error.
Two sq. feet is too small for the standard breeds - that might work for all bantams but I'd go with 3 sq. ft. for even them.
This all potentially becomes an issue during times when the chickens have to be locked up for a day or two or three... during bad weather (like snowstorms). That small of square footage can cause the birds to stress and become feather pickers - messing with each other when they are locked up for any length of time.
Since you have the outside run (which should allow 10 sq. feet per standard chicken) and they have access to it all the time (except at night which is good) you shouldn't have any problems until that day comes when they won't go outside in a storm.
I am saying all of this through personal experience. I have enough space for 8.75 standard chickens. One of mine is a small breed - I have nine chickens in that space. So, I thought I would be Ok since I have a 650 sq. outside run for them plus they free range many days each week. I had zero problems until they had to be locked in the coop for two days due to a blizzard this last winter. One of my poor girls got the bad end of the deal and now has no neck feathers and is missing feathers on her back in several places! I feel so awful for "squeezing in" that extra chicken or two.
I'm adding onto my coop right now and won't overload it again.
One thing that I found helped me girls to stop pecking at each other was to keep a flock block inside the coop so they could peck at that instead. It stopped my girls from continuing to harass my one chicken but... that may have worked just because I'm right at the edge of the "acceptable" limit of chickens in my space.
Hope this helps.
I do love your coop and run ... you did a great job on it. Glad you covered the run with better wire.
Edited for spelling error.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #14
Ok thanks, I was thinking his math was wrong, but I see where you guys are going. sorry about that.
I've checked out the pictures of all these coops and brooder they are so cute. My only question is how do you clean that out?? They will poop inside how do you get in there to change the bedding? I have mine in a full size shed and I have to get in there and shovel out the bedding I don't understand how you can clean the small ones out?
- Thread starter
- #16
Oh the roof is on hinges, and you can lift the whole thing up, sweep out the old stuff through the door and dump the new stuff in. It takes about 5 minutes.
ahh I see now that is a great idea!
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