i just built a 3x3 coop and was wondering if it would be suitable for 4 hens they would have a 4x8 run open to them all the time. me and my dad are going to build a 8x10 coop this winter and order chicks we had an old clubhouse converted but a bear broke the windows and ate al the hens so were building a new one in my cow pasture where they will be safe.
First, it depends if you have standards or bantams. Rule of thumb for standards is 4 sq ft per bird inside the house. You can usually get away with less than that for bantams. So if you have 4 standard hens, that's 4x4=16 sq ft of inside space needed total. Some chickens may need more, some are ok with less. Sorry about your chickens. I'm glad I don't have to worry about bears around here. The worst I encounter is to surprise a raccoon.
9 square feet is pretty minimal, especially for a New Hampshire winter if that is where you are located. I would not personally put more than 2 birds in there and if I did I'd make darn sure they had a HUGE, ROOFED, very well wind-blocked run, not just 4x8. You can try putting 4 birds in there, and maybe it will be okay, but it is not ideal from either a management or chicken-happiness standpoint. For one thing, it will be virtually impossible to get acceptable wintertime ventilation without serious wind in the coop. Good luck, have fun, Pat
I would say that you could 3 standard hens, maybe 5 bantams. I know that 3 sq. ft. per bird is the rule for thumb for standards.
