What size coop do I need

[Anny]

Are you planning on have standard sized birds?

I wouldn't go any smaller then 4 square feet per standard sized hen in the coop.

Do sure to count the feeder and waterer as taking up space as well.

And more space is always a plus.

In the run they should have at least 10 square feet per bird, but again bigger is better.

Also the bigger the coop is the less messy it will seem.

 

[worknprogress]

So they share a nest? If there are another birds eggs already they don't care? If you designate one spot for a nest and others for roost what keeps the birds going along with your plan.

What is a roost? A perch or another nest type place?

I'm sorry but I know nothing at all about chickens.

 

[sianara]

Quote:
The standard suggestion is 1 nest box for 4-5 hens. I have 12 birds that share 4 nest boxes (I used to have 20 hens) and they basically only use two of them.

Yep, a roost is another word for perch. It's the place they'll sleep.

I agree that 4 sq ft per bird is the minimum space required. Any thing smaller than that isn't fair to the birds. They need to be able to get away from each other and also have some room to stretch their wings.

Keep reading all you can on BYC and before you know it, you'll be an aficionado!

 

[kdcrws]

here's mine and here's the link to the plans.

http://www.organicgardening.com/pdf/coop_plans.pdf

 

[worknprogress]

Thank you so much! those are fantastic plans!

 

[worknprogress]

I forgot to add that I live in Minnesota so I have cold winters to get my chickens through. Does that make a difference with size?

 

[worknprogress]

One last question. Why are most of the coops I see off the ground? Do they stay warmer that way?

 

[kdcrws]

Quote:
For me it's protection from predators, it floods every few years here, and space, since the run is under the coop.

 

[cmom]

Here is a great referance book, Gail Damerow's 'Storey's Guide to Chickens' is an excellent guide, as well as this web site.

 

[mikefromnh]

One thing to keep in mind for a small coop is where you will put the waterer and feeder. When I built my small coop (4x7) I spent a long time figuring out where everything would go. You do not want them roosting above their food and water