What size coop?

[Fancy_Feathers]

Hey y'all! We are going to build our chicken coop, but before we build it I just want to make sure to build the right size for our chickens. We are getting 10 chickens, but 6 are bantams and 4 are standards. So, if I do the 2 square feet per bantam and 4 square feet per standard I will need a 28 square foot coop? We are planning on making a 40 square foot coop (5' x 8'), is that a good idea since I am pretty sure we will eventually get more chickens. So, what do y'all think we should do? Thanks!

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

5x8 is an annoying size to build because lumber and sheet goods usually come in multiples of 4 feet so you'll have a lot of extra cuts and waste. 6x8 would be easier because instead of buying 8-foot boards and cutting 3 feet off you could buy 12-foot boards and cut them in half.

Before deciding to skimp on the space in the run you might want to read this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ave-more-than-the-minimums-for-space.1462570/

Free-ranging is great -- until it isn't. It's best to be prepared for problems to come up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you follow the link in my signature you'll see why I don't believe in those magic numbers you mentioned or any other magic numbers. You can use those as a rough guideline but you are throwing out some red flags as to why that may not work really well for you.

You say you want more chickens. It is a lot easier to handle that when you initially build. By adding more chickens you will need to integrate. Integration is a lot easier if you have more room than the absolute minimum. Are your bantams going to be chicks? Few places sex bantams so you could easily wind up with several boys. More room might help with that. Or it might not.

I think it is a good idea to have a run where you can leave them locked in the coop/run for days or weeks even if you plan on free ranging. That allows you to have some flexibility in handling issues. There can be many different issues when you free range. Say you host an outside barbecue, you may want to lock them up so your guests aren't walking, sitting, or eating where the chickens have recently pooped. Maybe a predator starts picking off one a day. It might be handy to lock them up safe from the predator while you deal with it. Maybe a hen hides a nest and you want to retrain her to lay in your coop. The list of why you may want them locked in a coop/run is endless. So a run is a great idea.

You don't say where you are so I have no idea about your weather. If you have days where they can't get out into the run shoehorning them into the tiniest place possible can easily lead to behavioral problems. You climate is an important part of this and those magic numbers do not take any of that into account.

For your number of birds, whether bantam or full sized, I'd want a walk-in coop tall enough for me to stand in there and big enough for me to work. You need to be able to access every part of the inside of your coop. That's hard to do after you get to a certain size unless it is a walk-in.

A lot of this isn't about what the chickens need. It's more about you. I find the tighter I pack them the more behavioral problems I have to deal with, the harder I have to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues. I like the flexibility more room gives me most of all. That can greatly reduce my stress and I figure I'm as important as some chickens. The chickens actually benefit too.

 

[Fancy_Feathers]

Welcome to BYC.

5x8 is an annoying size to build because lumber and sheet goods usually come in multiples of 4 feet so you'll have a lot of extra cuts and waste. 6x8 would be easier because instead of buying 8-foot boards and cutting 3 feet off you could buy 12-foot boards and cut them in half.

Before deciding to skimp on the space in the run you might want to read this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ave-more-than-the-minimums-for-space.1462570/

Free-ranging is great -- until it isn't. It's best to be prepared for problems to come up.

Thanks for the tip! I think making it 6' x 8' would be easier to build.

Thanks for giving the link of that thread... so I should probably make my run bigger? How big do you think I should make it?

Yeah, I agree with you about free-ranging. We are thinking about not letting them free range our whole property but maybe fence in 1-2 acres? But fencing in that much space is a lot of money, and we will need a tall secure fence so I am not sure how much that will cost. Is 1/2 acre big enough to free range 10 chickens?

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks for giving the link of that thread... so I should probably make my run bigger? How big do you think I should make it?

As big as you can practically make it.

The run for my current coop is 100 feet of Premier 1 electric poultry netting -- I knowingly accept the risk of hawks and the fact that my California White can fly out when she wants to.

@Ridgerunner gives excellent advice in re: flexibility.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

I'm new to chickens too. I have a 7'x7' coop and an 8'x10' run for 8 hens. They free range most of the day on our property, which is 12 acres unfenced. They have an acre of pine and spruce forest right behind the coop, and several acres of lawn to roam, so tons of space. But...

I think I should have went bigger with the coop and run, just sayin'

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is 1/2 acre big enough to free range 10 chickens?

That's an area bigger than a 100' x200' rectangle. Huge for 10 chickens. I don't know what your definition of "free range" is, that varies by person, but it should be plenty. How well everything stays green and what kind of forage they have will depend on your climate and maybe season of the year, but 10 chickens won't really affect that in that big of an area.

 

[Vixen55]

Thanks for the tip! I think making it 6' x 8' would be easier to build.

Thanks for giving the link of that thread... so I should probably make my run bigger? How big do you think I should make it?

Yeah, I agree with you about free-ranging. We are thinking about not letting them free range our whole property but maybe fence in 1-2 acres? But fencing in that much space is a lot of money, and we will need a tall secure fence so I am not sure how much that will cost. Is 1/2 acre big enough to free range 10 chickens?

Welcome from another newbie! I just had a rat snake problem so I'm going to build a new coop also. It's a real old shed we made into a coop. Lots of issues! So I'm going to start over! Before I joined this fun website I free ranged my guys too. A fox came right up behind our garage a got my beautiful rooster! I don't know where you are but we have all kinds of predators here in Texas. I'm going to build a bigger run so mine can be safe for everything. This website is so great for advice so welcome to you and thanks guys!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Also, should I get electric fencing to keep them safe or is that too dangerous for the chickens?

Check out my post (#(9) in this thread about height.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/quick-question.1464292/

I use 48" high electric netting from Premiere1. It stops any ground based predator, even climbing or digging ones. It does not stop flying predators.

It is extremely safe for chickens. The current is not steady, it pulses about 50 times a minute. Sine it pulses the animals and you can turn loose and get away. Sometimes my chickens peck at the grass or weeds growing around it and hit a hot wire. They squawk, bounce back a couple of feet, and go back to eating. No harm.

 

[Alaskan]

With super hot summers one wall of solid wire is good,, with a window opposite so breeze will go through the coop..

Also, a roofed run will provide shade.