Question about Number of Chickens in Coop

[myfivegirls]

Well, thanks to all your help. We've narrowed down what I think needs to be done.
I'll probably get 10 chicks, and I'll add on a 4x4x4 section to the back of the existing coop, plus give the chicks a 2'x4' section from the existing coop. That way, the 5 Hens and the 10 chicks will both have 24 sq. ft. It should be nice enough weather by then, so they'll be outside most of the time = why only the min. space required. (5 Hens - 4 sq. ft. w/ 4 sq. ft. extra; chicks - 2.4 sq. ft., as it will be when they're 1-3 mo. or so when they're separated from the others.) The chicks will be smaller, but once they are bigger, they'll be able to share the coop with the other 5 Hens, until it's time for the 5 to retire.

Here's a basic "blueprint":

 

[gsim]

From Tennessee.

I agree with Patandchickens. Given layout, I would not want more than 4 in there. I like the ventilation all around the top. It is vital and especially if they are inside a lot in bad weather. I would do a large partly covered run before even dreaming of expanding the flock beyond 4. Hope it goes well.

 

[myfivegirls]

I would do a large partly covered run before even dreaming of expanding the flock beyond 4.

I already have a covered run and another area that's fenced off. I don't have a picture of it, but there is a good-sized area where they can be outside with protection from the weather. In addition, I have a really big area that where they can run, scratch & eat grass, etc.​

 

[catma4]

Yikes! After reading all these posts my mind is reeling with all the different advice. I currently have 4 full sized two year old hens and 7 Araucana bantam six week old chicks still in a brooder box. At some point I will be integrating the flocks. They have a 30x20' fenced in area to graze in. I also live in Vermont, which this past winter had many below zero nights and a lot of deep snow, so outside time was limited for weeks at a time.

I thought my 4x8 coop with 4 nesting boxes would be plenty of space for all of them, but now I am completely confused, and not a little worried. Adding space to the coop is not something I had planned on, but maybe I should? I guess my question would be, what advice is based on actual experience and what is the party line "poultry recommendations?"

 

[GizmoB]

I wrote this up for another post a while back but I'll copy it for you. I am convinced there is not one correct answer for everyone but maybe this will help you determine what is a good answer for you. SinceI wrote it for another post, it may read a little strange, but maybe you will get the pertinent points.


As long as you have enough height for the roosts to be noticeably higher than the nest boxes, height does not matter to chickens. They are basically ground dwelling birds, so the ground area is all that really matters space wise. I said it does not matter to the chickens. It does matter to me if I have to work in there. It matters quite a bit.

If the nest boxes are high enough off the ground that the chickens can easily get under them, then nest boxes do not take away from the space available. The tops of the nesting boxes does not add to the living space either although they may occasionally be up there. Ground level is what counts.

Some of the things that make up the space requirement are, in my opinion:

1. Personal space for the birds. They have different personalities and different individual requirements. Some are very possessive of personal space and some can share.

2. Access to feeder and waterer. More than one at a time needs to get to the feeder especially, but access to the waterer is also important. Part of this is that they seem to like to all eat at once but part of it is that a dominant bird may keep others from eating or drinking, especially with limited access.

3. Being able to put the feeder and waterer where they will not poop in it when they roost.

4. Poop load. The larger area they have the less often you have to actively manage the poop. They poop a lot while on the roost so you may have to give that area special consideration, but mucking out the entire coop can be backbreaking work plus you have to have some place to put all that bedding and poop. In my opinion, totally cleaning out the coop is something that needs to happen as seldom as possible.

5. How often are they able to get out of the coop. The more they are confined to the coop, the larger the personal space needs to be. The normal recommendation on this forum is 4 square feet per full sized chicken with a minimum of 10 square feet of run per bird. This additional requirement outside is sometimes not mentioned. How often they are allowed out of the coop may depend on a lot more than just weather. Your work schedule, when you are able to turn them loose, what time of day you open the pop door to let them out or lock them up at night, all this and more enters into the equation. The 4 square feet recommendation assumes they will spend extended time in the coop and not be able to get in the run. What that extended time can safely be depends on a lot of different factor so there is no one correct length of time for everyone.

6. Do you feed and water in the coop or outside. The more they are outside, the less pressure on the size of the coop.

7. The size of the chicken. Bantams require less room than full sized chickens. This has to be tempered by breed and the individual personalities. Some bantams can be more protective of personal space than others, but this is also true of full sized breeds.

8. The breed of the chicken. Some handle confinement better than others.

9. The number of chickens. The greater the number of chickens, the more personal space they can have if the square foot per chicken stays constant. Let me explain. Assume each chicken occupies 1 square foot of space. If you have two chickens and 4 square feet per chicken, the two chickens occupy 2 square feet, which leaves 6 square feet for them to explore. If you have ten chickens with 4 square feet per chicken, each chicken has 30 unoccupied square feet to explore. A greater number also can give more space to position the feeders and waterers properly in relation to the roosts and provide access. I’m not encouraging you to crowd your birds if you have a large number of them. I’m trying to say you are more likely to get in trouble with 4 square feet per chicken if you have very few chickens.

10. What is your flock make-up. A flock with more than one rooster may be more peaceful if it has more space. I don't want to start the argument about number or roosters here as I know more than one rooster can often peacefully coexist with a flock, but I firmly believe more space helps.

11. What is the maximum number of chickens you will have. Consider hatching chicks or bringing in replacements. Look down the road a bit.

I'm sure I am missing several components, but the point I'm trying to make is that we all have different conditions. There is no magic number that suits us all. The 4 square feet in a coop with 10 square feet in the run is a good rule of thumb for a minimum that, most of the time, will keep us out of trouble, but not always. I do believe that more is better both in the coop and in they run.

Thank you SO very much for writing this down! I had the same questions as the earlier post and your explanation has made things so much easier to understand.

 

[Rooapalooza]

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[EJ Schillaake]

Quote:

I'm in zone 4/5 - upstate NY - we've had several days of below zero weather and wind chills of -'teens', although the chickens were kept warm with two 100 watt light bulbs - averaged 20 degrees warmer than outside. We usually have snow starting November and ending anywhere from late March to mid-April. But, we can't start growing anything tender until beginning of June, as the nights are still pretty chilly. The frost dates are more like a zone 4, but the coldest temps are more like zone 5, so even though most places call us a zone 5, we're have the frosts of zone 4.

I'm thinking that I should at least add on a little bit more room, since I don't have much more room for any other roosts, and like you've said, I don't want them to be cramped. The five girls have plenty of space now, and they only use 1/3 of the roosting space, but they'd need more if I'm to get more.

Hello. We are in the Fingerlakes region and looking to start our coop and flock. Do you insulate the coop? Where in Upstate are you?

 

[Kat2141]

Hello. We are in the Fingerlakes region and looking to start our coop and flock. Do you insulate the coop? Where in Upstate are you?

hi there, this is a pretty old post so you may not get many replies. I'm not the original poster, but we are just a little south of you and my "coop" is a 10x10 corner horse stall with wire on top half of 2 walls. The barn is large, not insulated, nor is the stall. No horses in it to generate heat either, there is plenty of ventilation but it also means that any heat the chickens make dissipates too. But they are dry and sheltered from the wind and I have had no issues with the cold. I will say, heated water is a must for our area.

 

[EJ Schillaake]

Thank you very much for your kind reply! Enjoying the May snowfall?

 

[Kat2141]

Thank you very much for your kind reply! Enjoying the May snowfall?

I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in Phil - he said early spring. But we all deal, right? We only got about an inch, so not too bad. The girls have a window to look out and this morning when I opened their little door to the run, they were like "nope, not interested". Didn't even go near the door. LOL Spoiled rotten... they got to go out into the main barn instead.