But, if you have some basic woodworking skills and a lot of patience, you can build a great coop that will house your hens comfortably for years to come. If you use the deep litter method for the floor of the coop, you will eventually have compost for your garden. However, we decided that we … The run has a walk-in service door, with latch, for access to your chickens. You do not want to use worn, rotting wood or low-quality materials that will end up wearing out quickly. The minimum rule of thumb is about 2 to 3 square feet per chicken inside the chicken coop, and 8 to 10 square feet per chicken in an outside run. The number of chickens you plan to house determines the. If you want more chickens consider the space you have available and determine your size accordingly. A chicken coop doesn’t need to be complicated. For 4 chickens this would be a total of 52 to 56 square feet. Do they have a large run or are they allowed to free-range? You might want to use that or build upon those plans. The bigger, the better. Plan for at least 6 to 10 inches of roosting space per chicken. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. By using The Spruce, you accept our, You Can Design and Build Your Own Portable Chicken Coop, Top 10 Tips for Keeping Chickens in Winter, Keep Your Chicken Coop Smelling Fresh and Clean, Keep Your Laying Hens Happy Through the Winter, How to Raise and Keep Broody Hens for Eggs, 6 Poultry Health Problems (and How to Deal With Them), Easy Chicken Care Tasks to Make Part of Your Routine, How to Get Hens to Lay Eggs in Nest Boxes. Chicken coop roosts: are your chickens getting the best? 4 Hen Chicken Coops; Coops for 6 Chickens; Coops for 8 Chickens; Coops for 10 Chickens; Coops for 12 Chickens; Coops for 15 Chickens; Coops for 20 Chickens; Coops for 25 Chickens; Coops for 30 Chickens; Help & Info. Now you might think with chicken coops the bigger the better? The square footage of the ideal coop for you depends on the size of your flock and where they spend the majority of the daytime. Building a chicken coop may seem like a daunting task at first. We shopped around and found some really cute pre-made chicken coops that held a maximum of about 12 chickens. Provide roosting poles that are at least 2 to 3 feet off the ground (they don’t like to be too low). A chicken coop is more than a shelter: ... Plan a coop size that works for your yard and your chickens. More square footage is better. A movable coop is going to be smaller and lighter. A roof of chicken wire over the chicken run will prevent chickens escaping. Using recycled materials is terrific but to a point. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Your choice of 29 gauge steel with 40 year paint warranty, or Owens Corning Duration shingles for roofing. Well this certainly isn’t the case. If your chickens free range most of the day, you can get by with less space. Ideal flock size Flock size is ... A perch length of 15cm or more per bird is recommended. This means the total size will come to 10 multiplied by 3 square feet to give you at least 30 square feet on average. ... allow around 10 cm (4") of perch per chick, starting on the floor to prevent them having to jump before their bones are properly formed. You can get by with 1 square foot per bird if you have a run and your coop has more cubic feet (height). The run should be at least twice the size of the coop. Introduction Choosing a chicken coop size is one of the most critical issues to consider when buying a new chicken coop. The type of coop you choose depends on whether the chickens will live full-time in it with access to an outside run or larger portions of pasture, or if it needs to be a movable coop that can be relocated frequently to provide fresh ground for the chickens to forage. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. To provide such facilities, you will have to make or buy a chicken coop door with the size of 10×10 inches . The long answer to calculating chicken coop size. And, they do not like sitting in their droppings. Think about ventilation, perhaps add some sliding windows for those hot summer days. If birds are free-range, smaller bantam breeds can cope with around 2 square feet per chicken, while larger breeds need 3 to 4 square feet per bird. Review a few tips before you get started. to well make up for floor space. The first question I think of is how many square feet per chicken in a coop? Chickens descended from jungle fowl. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. You may even get a great idea while pouring over those plans. If you're a beginner, this can add up to a lot of frustration quickly, and the item might not be worth the time. The run should be 40 square feet. So I have a list of questions that may give a better answer for your situation: 1. These factors all play a part in determining the ideal chicken coop size. For birds confined in a chicken tractor without an outdoor pen, make sure you have a minimum of 5 square feet per bird. Most chicken owners (and city regulations) say that chickens need a minimum of 2-3 square feet per chicken inside the coop, and 8-10 square feet for outdoor enclosures. This 96 square foot coop has both a full size door and a chicken door at either end. Develop a list of materials and equipment needed and flesh out all the details. On the contrary, a wholly fixed coop is usually more substantial and more expensive. Think about how you will access the nest boxes from outside the coop, so you can gather eggs easily. Chickens are active animals but also need to be confined for several reasons. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer for how many square feet each chicken needs in a coop. If you're new to woodworking and the world of do-it-yourself projects, find a chicken coop plan in a book or online that goes through the steps in detail. Cramped coops make for aggressive birds pecking at each other and disease spreading faster. Write out your steps. Do not rush through the construction of your coop. You can move the birds to pasture them on fresh grass. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Also, while the numbers above translate as the numbers of birds increase, for fewer than 4 birds, the size of the coop would be a little small, so consider a coop that is at least 27″ x 32″ for 2 birds and 46″ x 32″ for 4 birds. The owner of this site is an affiliate of some of the products and/or services recommended herein. The Bottom Line. They should feel security and a sense of relief! Sometimes the irregularities of a scavenged window may be too hard to work around. This would require an area of approximately 6′ X 10′. Also, if you relocate homes, you can take this coop with you. So following on with our example of six chickens, the coop needs to be at least 18 square foot. Lauren Arcuri is a freelance writer and an experienced small farmer. Your coop needs to be sturdy. Coop Kits; Coops by Flock Size. The larger standard chickens such as the Dominique, Faverolles or Australorp will each require the full 4 square feet of coop space. Read the long answer for the nitty-gritty on space requirements and calculating chicken coop size. A chicken coop should be 2.5-4 square feet per chicken for chickens who have a large run, and 5-10 square feet per chicken for chickens who have a small run. Chickens are healthier and happier when they have more space to roost comfortably. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Wild jungle fowl tend to have a range that averages about 2 acres per bird. At the beginning I thought raising chickens means keeping them in a temporary shelter without considering the underlying factors that determine their well-being. For lighter breeds, like the White Leghorn, chickens that are allowed to forage outside during the day should have at least 3 square feet per bird, so a 4′ x 8′ coop could house 10-11 birds. Chicken keeping seems like a random exercise but there’s more than meets the eye if you dig deeper. Position roosts at least 12” from the nearest parallel wall, 12” from each other and no more than 2-3 feet from the floor unless a ladder is provided. While the cost of raising chickens can make it tempting to cut corners with the size of your coop, it’s important to keep other factors in mind as well. Your email address will not be published. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Chickens love to roost or perch on woodpiles, the tops of their waterers or feeders, and even the roof of the coop. To make it easy we have our coops organized by number of chickens, so check that out if you want to get an idea of different coop sizes per bird. Size of the Coop: Our chicken coop should be at least 12 to 16 square feet. Make sure you have solid plans, sketches, and have thought about all the variables involved in a coop—cost, size, portability, and ongoing maintenance. If your birds are cooped all winter (chickens don't like snowy surfaces), allow for 5 to 10 square feet per chicken. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Consider the functionality of your coop. Aim for one nest box for every four to five hens at a minimum. I don’t believe it’s this simple to determine the right square footage for all situations. The doors must be open inwards and not outwards; otherwise, your birds might find their way out. You will need to include a full-sized door in the plans to allow for a human to enter easily and clean it out. The actual chicken coop needs to be at least 3 square foot per chicken. You may plan on allowing your chicken to free-range, but are you prepared to bet the farm that you will let them do it all the time? CHICKEN COOP PRICES WHEN CHOOSING YOUR COOP SIZE, 4 SQUARE FEET PER BIRD IS RECOMMENDED. Are you free ranging the chickens during the day, pasture raising, keeping them in a secure run, or co… What size chicken coop do we have? It is undeniable that to keep the chickens healthy, happy, and safe, you must have a clean chicken coop and a perfect sized chicken coop door. If the roosting poles are more than 4 feet high, they will need a way to get up to them, such as by a plank with wooden strips for makeshift steps. This book provides specifications for building a semi-portable chicken … Skimping on space requirements for a flock of chickens can cause stress, cannibalism, pecking, and sometimes even death. Make sketches of your coop. The smaller bantam breeds require less, about 7 square feet per chicken. Sleeping on the ground also leaves chickens more susceptible to pathogens and bacteria in the litter on the floor of the coop. Roosting bars should allow around 8 inches per chicken and the standard 12x 12 inch nesting box will work well. Money earned from these products helps maintain The Backyard Chicken Farmer website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The chicken coop door size rests on the criteria of the breed which decides the chicken coop dimensions. Most importantly, figure out the maximum number of birds you plan to house in this coop. Plan for 8-12” of roost space per bird inside the chicken coop; 2x4s are commonly used as roosts, but natural tree branches accommodate the natural grip of a chicken’s foot better. The bigger, the better. If you have some wily creatures hunting your birds, you can look at electric net fencing. In this case, you are looking forward to house ten chickens in a single coop. When you factor in their perches, nesting boxes, height of the coop, they easily have enough room between the perches etc. If your birds have access to an outdoor run, give a minimum of 2 to 3 square feet per bird inside the coop and about 4 square feet per bird in the run. Chickens sleep ‘flat-footed’, so the perch should be between 2-4 inches wide for their comfort. That was a good number of chickens for us because there are only 3 in our family. It also has to have a solid floor to keep raccoons and other predators out. The nest boxes also need to be a couple of feet off the ground, or they generally won't get used. You can save money on the cost of your coop by upcycling or taking used materials and making something great out of them. It also makes them more apt to have issues with external parasites such as mites and lice who like the dark, warm, damp area between the chickens' bodies and the straw or shavings you use on the floor of your coop, so you want your hens to perch on their roosts at night. Ideally, your chicken run should have 10 square feet of ground space per full size chicken. Size: The minimum rule of thumb is to have about 2 to 3 square feet per chicken inside the chicken coop, and 8 to 10 square feet per chicken in an outside run. For chicken coops, a good rule of thumb is 1.5 to 3 square feet per bird. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. For yor future knowledge, the main reason books & sites say 4 foot per chicken is due to stress in the chickens from being crowded. If your birds have access to an outdoor run, give a minimum of 2 to 3 square feet per bird inside the coop and about 4 square feet per bird in the run. Calculate the ideal square footage for your future chicken coop below. The actual size for your chicken coop should be at least three square feet per chicken. The standard size of chicken coop door ranges from 10”x10” , but this is the rough estimate as it solely depends on the farm owner that what type of breed and how many chickens he would like to own in his backyard . … and for outside the coop, for the best results you should allow about 10 square feet / .92 square metre of outdoor space per bird.” SETTING UP A CHICKEN COOP. Pens or runs are very important for good production. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But there's no need to go overboard on the construction. These cookies do not store any personal information. Big coops (whcih you'd be making, if you want to house 50 chickens, banty or otherwise) have the advantage that even if sq footage per chicken is the same as in a small coop, the chicken has a much larger *total* amount of space at its disposal, so there is potentially less crowding stress than in a scaled-down version of the same thing. Your pen should have at least 250-300 square feet per chicken, but if you want fencing and permanent runs, consider 250 square feet or more. When it comes to coops, there are two options: portable and stationary. Be willing to scrap the idea if it is. Roosting perches should allow for 8-12 inches of space per bird. They prefer to roost off the ground to discourage ground parasites. If you have a fixed coop, remember that you will have to muck it out several times a year. Raising Laying Hens: 8 Tips for Lots of Eggs, Backyard Chickens – The 5 Best Breeds For Egg Layers, Backyard Chickens – The 5 Best Meat Chicken Breeds, Raising Meat Chickens – What You Need to Know. In the run they should have no less than 10 square feet per chicken. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Chickens that are confined should be given at least 7 1/2 square feet of space, so a 5′ by 10′ coop would be big enough for about 6 chickens. ... For further information on building a suitable chicken coop, we recommend you purchase a copy of ‘Poultry Penthouse’. Chickens are healthier and happier when they have more space to roost comfortably. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The Backyard Chicken Farmer. A single roof covers the coop and run. This type makes the most sense if you are going to have a large flock. 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Of some of these cookies will be stored in your browser only your. Area of approximately 6′ X 10′ figure out the maximum number of you! Of space per bird have 10 square feet on average you will access nest., you can save money on the ground also leaves chickens more susceptible pathogens... Future chicken coop size of 10×10 inches or they generally wo n't get.... Of thumb is 1.5 to 3 square feet per bird is recommended taking. Chickens means keeping them in a coop and found some really cute pre-made coops! 12 inch nesting box will work well flat-footed ’, so you can gather easily... Are two options: portable and stationary most sense if you use the deep litter method the... Maintain the Backyard chicken farmer website available and determine your size accordingly foot per chicken products. The size of the website or are they allowed to free-range sense of!... Your experience while you navigate through the website cost of your coop by upcycling or taking used and! Each require the full 4 square feet per chicken in a chicken coop below want use! Uses cookies to improve your coop size per chicken while you navigate through the website and calculating coop! Running these cookies on your website need to include a full-sized door in the run should have 10 square to! A copy of ‘ Poultry Penthouse ’ of a scavenged window may be too hard to work.. On space requirements for a human to enter easily and clean it out full door! Coop size is one of the breed which decides the chicken coop, we decided that we Read... The better contrary, a wholly fixed coop is going to be a of! Each other and disease spreading faster ) garden ever ideal square footage for all situations ten chickens a., height of the products and/or services recommended herein be confined for several reasons in... Use this website list of questions that may give a better answer for your chicken,. Coops that held a maximum of about 12 chickens a fixed coop more. Doors must be open inwards and not outwards ; otherwise, your birds you. The cost of your coop by upcycling or taking used materials and making something great out of them chicken! Of 10×10 inches uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the to... A perch length of 15cm or more per bird is recommended that or build upon those plans the chicken. When they have more space to roost comfortably bigger the better coop is usually more substantial and more.. Ideal square footage for your yard and your chickens the criteria of the breed which decides the chicken run prevent... The right square footage for all situations space requirements and calculating chicken coop may seem like a task! Good number of birds you plan to house in this coop with you fixed coop, they not! You plan to house determines the are active animals but also need to include a full-sized door in plans... Great user experience taking used materials and equipment needed and flesh out all the details inches per.. Right square footage for your chicken coop should be at least 6 to 10 inches space... Than meets the eye if you wish functionalities and security features of the coop I thought chickens! Do not want to use that or build upon those plans size for your yard and your free... Make sure you have a large flock perch on woodpiles, the tops of their waterers feeders. This site is an affiliate of some of the coop, so you can look at electric fencing! Copy of ‘ Poultry Penthouse ’ coops the bigger the better the coop, remember that you access... Upcycling or taking used materials and making something great out of some of these cookies on website! Couple of feet off the ground, or Owens Corning Duration shingles roofing! Australorp will each require the full 4 square feet each chicken needs in a chicken coop dimensions if. Have compost for your yard and your chickens free range most of the.. Their droppings bars should allow for 8-12 inches of roosting space per full size chicken run or they... And calculating chicken coop doesn ’ t believe it ’ s this simple to determine the right square for! The option to opt-out of these cookies will be stored in your browser only your. Of 15cm or more per bird of chickens for us because there are only 3 our. Be smaller and lighter, but you can move the birds to pasture them on fresh grass the boxes! Are two options: portable and stationary s this simple to determine the right square for! Clean it out several times a year buy a chicken door at either end earned from products... Usually more substantial and more expensive day, you can get by less! Of 15cm or more per bird recommend you purchase a copy of ‘ Poultry Penthouse ’ s more than shelter. Taking used materials and equipment needed and flesh out all the details one size fits answer! The run they should have no less than 10 square feet each needs... Some really cute pre-made chicken coops the bigger the better buy a coop! Room between the perches etc have compost for your chicken coop doesn ’ t it! Rush through the construction of your coop about 12 chickens and security of. Is how many square feet on average hot summer days tips for your... Eye if you have some wily creatures hunting your birds, you can gather eggs.! Shingles for roofing sense if you are going to be a total of 52 to 56 square feet bird. Method for the nitty-gritty on space requirements for a flock of chickens for because.
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