Wondering if my coop and run is large enough

[Larry in Hawaii]

We have 4 full grown hens and one Rooster and have just received a bunch of baby chicks (about 30). We will keep about 12 or so and sell the others to friends when they are old enough for a run. Question is this. Our coop is 4'X8' tall and the run is 8'X16' all wired in with a covered top. Wondering how much larger if any I should make both the coop and run for a dozen or so more hens in there. We can't free range because of all the animals we have and there really isn't any lawn area.

Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The floor of the coop is 4X8?
If so, it can hold 8 part time LF or a few more bantams.
The pen may be small for that many.

 

[Cheep N Peep]

Four square feet per bird inside the coop is not a minimum, it is the most space they need to be the most happy. Some people go with two square feet per hen in the coop, and they do completely fine because they have plenty of outside space. (recommended 9-10 sq.ft. per bird, which is a pretty good minimum.) I go with 2.5 - 3sq.ft. per hen here, and they are all just fine, (although, mine aren't yet full grown and there is room for two or three more, if I go with 3 sq.ft.,... so...).
Anyway, my point is this: with a coop floor space of 4x8, or 32sq.ft., and a run of 8x16, or 128sq.ft., and you give each hen:
4sq.ft. 8 hens 10sq.ft. 12-13 hens Great
3.5sq.ft. 9 hens 10sq.ft. 12-13 hens Good
3sq.ft. 10-11 hens 10sq.ft. 12-13 hens O.K.
2.5sq.ft. 12-13 hens 10sq.ft. 12-13 hens Eh...
2sq.ft. 15 hens 9sq.ft. 14 hens Uncomfortable

Of course, more birds means in a smaller space means cleaning more frequently. And of course, you should give them as much outside room as possible, even if that means tacking on a less secure run to the pre -existing one, and opening it every day, or letting them free range sometimes. If you are mixing young pullets with the older girls, each extra inch of outside space will be appreciated, along with hanging treats and hidy-holes to distract everyone until things calm down.
Hope this helps.

 

[Larry in Hawaii]

Yes the floor of the coop is 4X8 and it's about 6' tall, but only time I see them on the floor is when the walk into the coop...lots of pearch's with windows to look from. So how large do you all think the coop and run need to be for 4 older and 12 new hens? We really can't let them free range here...to many other animals in our zoo that roam around the property.

 

[Cindy in PA]

The best coop size would be at least 64 square feet for 16 birds, twice the size of yours. The run should be a minimum of 160 square feet or 16 by 10. You have about 128 sq. ft. in the run now. You could put 16 birds in the size of your setup, but it would not be ideal for the birds & the coop would require much more cleaning. Your call.

 

[Larry in Hawaii]

Thanks for the input. I have planned to enlarge the coop and run nearly double of what I now have just to be sure they have enough room. Yes more to clean, but lots of room for the girls to be happy in and lay tons of eggs....yummy!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The lower the stocking density, the easier it is to clean.
Yes, larger is more to clean but smaller means you'll clean much more often.