What is my ideal coop?

[sean_wonder]

good day ladies and gentlemen of the BYC community!

hopefully by the end of this year, my mother will finally allow me to have chickens! but in order for that to happen, i quite obviously need a coop.

the minimum order of chickens i can get from my favorite hatchery so far is 8, so i have chosen 4 easter eggers (one of my favorite kinds of chicken), 2 rhode island reds, and 2 plymouth rocks as my ideal beginning flock. i want fun & docile egg layers!

with that in mind, i would like to know if this coop that i like is good enough for the size & amount of my chickens

https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...Lock-Chicken-Coop-Up-to-8-chickens-p1269.aspx

with the knowledge that chickens need a run, i would also purchase this

https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Dog-He...4279843&sr=8-3&keywords=outdoor+wire+dog+cage

does this seem sufficient for eight large fowl (4 easter egger, 2 rhode island, 2 plymouth rock)? thank you in advance!!

 

[imnukensc]

Neither one of those is large enough for 8 full sized chickens. I wouldn't put more than 4 in the coop and the run is only large enough for about 1 1/2 chickens.

 

[sean_wonder]

Neither one of those is large enough for 8 full sized chickens. I wouldn't put more than 4 in the coop and the run is only large enough for about 1 1/2 chickens.

how much space in a coop & in a run does a chicken need?

 

[imnukensc]

4 sq ft/chicken in the coop and 10 sq ft/chicken in the run are the generally accepted minimums.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

You need to be careful with those coop specs in your link. I'd bet the external nest boxes are included in the dimensions, but that doesn't count as floor space (which should be 4 sq ft per bird). So it looks like that coop might be even smaller than the numbers indicate. btw they all lie about the number of birds a coop will accommodate.

 

[sean_wonder]

You need to be careful with those coop specs in your link. I'd bet the external nest boxes are included in the dimensions, but that doesn't count as floor space (which should be 4 sq ft per bird). So it looks like that coop might be even smaller than the numbers indicate. btw they all lie about the number of birds a coop will accommodate.

so what size coop should i be looking for exactly?

l'' x w'' format would be very helpful if you have a rough guesstimate.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

so what size coop should i be looking for exactly?

l'' x w'' format would be very helpful if you have a rough guesstimate.

For 8 birds you need 32 sq ft. Examples: 6' x 5.3', 5' x 6.4', 4' x 8'

I use cheap used 8' x 10' metal sheds I found on Craigslist. That IMO is about the cheapest way to go. You have to be comfortable building stuff, because mods are necessary (like ventilation).

 

[imnukensc]

You would need a 4 ft x 8 ft (32 sq ft) coop and an 8 ft x 10 ft (80 sq ft) run.

 

[True Patriot]

For a starting flock of 8 your coop should be at least 4ft W x 8ft L x at least 3 ft H. Taller is better, for you, easier to get in for cleaning etc. At a minimum the run should be 8ft x 10ft. As already mentioned by others, most pre made coops are optimistic about the number of chickens they hold. For the run a 10x10 dog run would be a good start. It will need some improvements as far as predators but will get you going. For the money you'd spend on a premade coop, you could build one that would fit your flock. It doesn't need to be fancy at first. As long as it provides the needed shelter and protection it will work. Look through the coop design pages at some of the ideas people have come up with. The hoop coop can be both coop and run, and can be built cheaper than a premade of less capacity.

 

[Ridgerunner]

64" x 39" x 42" coop with 6' H x 8'L x 4'W run for 8 hens, I would not do it at all. I don't believe in those square feet per chicken numbers, there are too many variables involved. A big question is where you live as far as climate. Will the chickens have access to the outside in winter or will they be confined to the coop section only for periods of time but there are other possible issues. You can follow the link in my signature for some of what else I think is important. In general I find the more I crowd them the more behavioral problems I have to deal with, the harder i ave to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues that come up.

That 4 square feet in the coop with 10 in the run isn't a bad starting point for a small suburban flock of all hens raised together as long as they can use the run pretty much year around. For some people it is overkill, they can get by with less, but for some a little more would really be nice. If you want to let a broody hen raise some chicks or you want to add more chickens later more room is really nice.

You need to be able to reach everywhere inside the coop for cleaning, making repairs, or being able to get a chicken or egg if you need to. I find that 8 chickens is right on that boundary where you can go with a smaller coop where you can access everything from the outside versus needing it tall enough where you can walk in.

If you can tell us roughly where you live so we will have an idea about your climate and follow the link in my signature and tell us if you see anything in there that might apply to your situation I'll try to give some ideas.