roost space in a 8x10 coop

[hudsonnascarfan]

ive got a 8x10 coop with a 10x16 run was thinking about adding some more chicken to my flock ive got 36 feet of roost in my coop next summer i will be makeing my run 10x50 feet was just wondering if i can build my flock up to 24 chickens for this year or just wait till i can get the bigger run built and put in a second coop as of now my 10 chicks are only 5 weeks old but i have a chance to add a few more chickens to the flock and for the winter months im thinking the chickens might not even leave the coop if its anything like this past winter we had over 4 feet of snow on the ground for a bigest part of the winter im in central maine but i can wait till ive got my 2nd coop if i need to

 

[7L Farm]

I have the same set up & have 10 hens & 1 roo living in the coop & they free range everyday. They really need more space. Chickens need alot of space to prevent them from pecking feathers trust me. If you get that much snow & their locked up for the winter they will need more space. Here's a coop that is three sided & holds 16 pullets its 330 sq ft. I could probably put 25 chickens in it Max's. Its your call . Sounds like your roost is adequate but that doesn't m

ean you can add more birds.

 

[7L Farm]

Here's the inside

 

[hudsonnascarfan]

well i guess i can wait till i set up the bigger run and set up a second coop but i was also thinking that there body heat with the extra chickens would also help to keep them warmer in our cold snaps that do get well below 0 for days some times a few weeks at a time

 

[hudsonnascarfan]

id let them free range but i have seen a few foxes around here and we do have a few coons in the area but durring the day time i think im more worried about my own dogs wanting to play with them ive seen one of my dogs sneek up on a big raven and kill it by running it over a few times she never did try to bite it and i have seen the dogs chase off the foxes we have had at night when i let them out to go pee i just dont trust them with the chickens yet but they are learning that the chickens live here too so maybe in a few more months they will get protective of them like they are now with my wifes cat

 

[7L Farm]

Your right they will be fine on the roost. They just get cabin fever in a small coop. As mentioned I have the same set up as you here it is. Maybe I'm wrong I have 11 chickens that live in this coop that free range everyday & I personally feel they need more room. Guess I like big coops.

 

[hudsonnascarfan]

ok ive decided to go ahead and build a new coop this summer thats going to be 8x12 and run some fence between the 2 coops to give them a 45 foot long run im just going to have to taper the run from 12 feet wide at one end to 10 feet wide at the other end that way i can have a bunch more chickens and if all goes good this summer im going to try to also build a few smaller chicken tractors to use as breeding pens im thinking that some 4x8 tractors with 12 foot runs on them should be big enuff to hold a half dozen hens with just 1 rooster next summer id like to try breeding my jersey giants and maybe trying to do some barred rocks and some rir might even try some other chicken breeds also i was just hopeing i could get away with just my 8x10 coop for this year but the more i think about it and for the costs i might as well do the bigger coop along with the smaller one that way i can start on building the tractors this winter and can try to keep the different birds in there own coops till im ready i was just trying to save some money ill just keep my giants in the 8x10 coop and put the rest in the 12x8 coop that way i can hatch out some giants over the winter and work on the others in the spring