Question

[Artichoke Lover]

Nc

Do you mind if I ask your USDA zone? There’s a lot of temperature difference in NC
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/9b/22/3d9b225a87ce1a6abd79bf32d577fee0.jpg

 

[Mandylynn1207]

I live on the coast about an hour from the ocean.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I live on the coast about an hour from the ocean.

In that case yes you can make do with a slightly smaller coop. 3 square feet per chicken. It’s still recommended to be larger so there is less risk of squabbling and more room the hens to get away from each other.

 

[mowin]

In that case yes you can make do with a slightly smaller coop. 3 square feet per chicken. It’s still recommended to be larger so there is less risk of squabbling and more room the hens to get away from each other.

Agreed, only if they gals have adequate run space during the day.

 

[3KillerBs]

(Waving from the Sandhills )

It will be quite difficult to build an elevated coop large enough for 10 chickens -- which would need to be 40 square feet. That is, about 6x8, which is too big to reach all parts from one access door when it's time to clean it or when you need to catch a particular chicken for some purpose. I have to enlist my tall son to catch one from the back corner of my 4x4 coop.

BUT, since you're also in North Carolina, and in an even warmer area, you could do what I'm doing with my new coop build and use an Open Air design. This combines the coop and the run into one, open-but-secure area with plenty of ventilation and just enough shelter from wind and rain.

Open Air coops are perfect for our heat and humidity -- offering shade, airflow, and shelter from the rain without risk of overheating or the build-up of ammonia in a closed coop.

This is the primary inspiration for my current build (which is only posts at the moment, but DH will be starting to frame the roof beams tomorrow): https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/texas-coop-build-pic-heavy.1371038/

If you don't like the Open Air concept, I suggest a Monitor Roof. My current coop is much too small for your needs, but the general design could be expanded. It came through Hurricane Florence bone dry.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

(Waving from the Sandhills )

It will be quite difficult to build an elevated coop large enough for 10 chickens -- which would need to be 40 square feet. That is, about 6x8, which is too big to reach all parts from one access door when it's time to clean it or when you need to catch a particular chicken for some purpose. I have to enlist my tall son to catch one from the back corner of my 4x4 coop.

BUT, since you're also in North Carolina, and in an even warmer area, you could do what I'm doing with my new coop build and use an Open Air design. This combines the coop and the run into one, open-but-secure area with plenty of ventilation and just enough shelter from wind and rain.

Open Air coops are perfect for our heat and humidity -- offering shade, airflow, and shelter from the rain without risk of overheating or the build-up of ammonia in a closed coop.

This is the primary inspiration for my current build (which is only posts at the moment, but DH will be starting to frame the roof beams tomorrow): https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/texas-coop-build-pic-heavy.1371038/

If you don't like the Open Air concept, I suggest a Monitor Roof. My current coop is much too small for your needs, but the general design could be expanded. It came through Hurricane Florence bone dry.

It can certainly be done depending on OPs building skills. Ours is 16x14 and a couple of feet off the ground. We have stairs going up to it. A friend built it a couple a years ago. It’s also 16 feet tall. I would not have made it that tall personally because I am short. If they have some building experience and help it shouldn’t be a problem. If they are completely new to building it will be a different story. I do agree an open air coop could be a good idea though. This provided OP has a safe place to put them during hurricanes that is not the coop. Maybe a garage. We had 2 hurricanes hit while we lived in NC and we only lived there a year.

 

[aart]

It will be quite difficult to build an elevated coop large enough for 10 chickens -- which would need to be 40 square feet.

But not impossible.
The shed my coop is in is 16 x 16' and 2-3' off the ground on concrete piers.

 

[3KillerBs]

Agreed. Difficult =/= impossible.

But if it is not actually a walk-in elevated coop it would be murderously-difficult to clean and I personally would not want to have to retrieve eggs or a chicken from underneath it.