What size run and coop would you recommend for 4 hens?

[linders]

We just purchased and built ours and I'm worried it's too small! We have four chickens.

Our size is 4.5 feet high, 3 feet wide and 5 feet long. They will have very little free-range time as our yard is small and mainly garden boxes and a deck and we don't want them in/on either of those. So most their time will be in the run and I want to know if that size is too compact.

Thanks!

 

[DavidKerk]

Is this both the run and coop combined?

 

[melliott]

We have four chickens and ours is four ft wide by ten foot long with the hen house being four ft by four ft by three ft tall. The nesting box is outside of the main hen house on the left so they have all 16 sq ft to move around when they are inside.

 

[Mac WIlson]

That's a GREAT looking hen house!

 

[linders]

Yes, that includes coop and run. The coop is on the far end and is 3' wide, 2' long and 3' tall

 

[melliott]

That's a GREAT looking hen house!

Thank you....we painted it to match our house. We have only had chickens since October so we are still new to chickens. My wife and I looked at a lot of coops on here and pintrest and just copied the ones that we liked and painted it how we wanted and thats what we ended up with. It seems to be plenty big for our girls and they seem to be happy. Its not %100 done but Im not sure if a coop really ever is "done".

 

[TattooedKeeper3]

Depending on how much room you have, have you thought about a chicken tractor for them for the day time? I found myself in need of a hospital pen after a few months of having 75 chickens. So I turned a roofless chain link dog kennel, 8 feet long by 6 feet wide by 4 feet high, into a hospital pen. The hospital pen ended up being a permanent housing for the 4 hens that went in there. It made a great chicken tractor. The only pictures I could find were taken at night.






I used tree branches of cedar and oak (hardwoods) for them to roost on. The poll at the very top was used to hold onto with another poll to pick up the chicken tractor just a few inches and scoot it over to new grass. We did this on average every three days. It worked out wonderfully. The christmas lights were laced around the ckn tractor to keep it light to discourage coyotes. I posted the game camera near there to keep an eye on them at night and when I was gone. This worked out great. Our grass was awesome even in the middle of the drought here in East Texas for the last 2 summers. Later when I had less chickens I would put the Ladies in the coop at night and carry them out to the chicken tractor by day. This also helped make them more accustomed to human contact and being held.

 

[melliott]

We just purchased and built ours and I'm worried it's too small! We have four chickens.

Our size is 4.5 feet high, 3 feet wide and 5 feet long. They will have very little free-range time as our yard is small and mainly garden boxes and a deck and we don't want them in/on either of those. So most their time will be in the run and I want to know if that size is too compact.

Thanks!

I thought more people would chime in but so far it doesnt seem like you have gotten much information. We have only had our chickens since October so keep in mind that my opinion comes with very little experience. We put our girls in the coop/run the first week of December and they seem to have plenty of room both inside the coop and while they are in the run. The run is 10ft by 4ft and even on the coldest days...0 degrees...They spent most of the day outside. Inside the coop there is plenty of room to move around and even though they could spread out while roosting they only use about half of whats available. I have no idea if your set up is to small Im just trying to give you an idea of our set up for our four hens. I would just watch to see if there is room to move about in your coop/run or if they are steping all over each other because they are to cramped. I hope this helps you even just a little. Wish I had more experience to give a more informed and accurate opinion......Mike

 

[Mac WIlson]

Funny, i was hoping to hear more from others, too. I'm still doing my setup. Excited, but nervous at the same time! Mac

 

[khoe]

We just purchased and built ours and I'm worried it's too small! We have four chickens.

Our size is 4.5 feet high, 3 feet wide and 5 feet long. They will have very little free-range time as our yard is small and mainly garden boxes and a deck and we don't want them in/on either of those. So most their time will be in the run and I want to know if that size is too compact.

Thanks!

I believe it may be too small if this is including your outdoor space for them as well. Each chicken should have 8-10 sq. ft. Of room in the run. That is 36-40 sq. ft. For 4 hens. If yours is 3x5 that's only 15 sq. feet.