# Need advice on what size coop i need



## Jason82 (Feb 7, 2016)

Hey y'all I need some advice on what size coop I need. I have 8 chickens now 1 rooster and 7 hens I will be getting 26 hens in late March. Just not sure how big of a coop I need to build. Any advice would help thanks.
Jason


----------



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Hello and welcome to the forum! I think what I've seen here if I remember correctly that each hen needs 24 ft of space. 
Some of the longer members will be along soon and correct me if I'm wrong.


----------



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Well, that may the run that needs to be that big not the coop necessarily. Our coop is about 10 x10 and I've had close to 20 chickens in it to roost. But, then they could get out into our run which is approx 24 x 24 ft.
It's a little slow on the weekends , check back often.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL Patsy, I thought that was a typo.

It's 4 square feet of *floor* space per large fowl. Going less than that can cause behavior issues with the birds, like picking feathers, cannibalism from the stress of over crowding. Even more if they have to be up for any length of time.

Notice I highlighted floor? Roosts and nest boxes are not part of that equation. You also have to allow for the space for waterers and feeders and nest boxes.


----------



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Lol! I guess my hens would be able fly around! Thanks for the correction! !


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, when I do that I hope no one hesitates to correct me. When I get tired I can say some of the dumbest things and fully mean it at the time.


----------



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I hear ya!


----------



## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

Don't forget if they aren't free ranging, (If you stated they were going to I missed sorry) They will need 10 sq feet of run in addition to the 4 in the coop  Wish I had room for more  I plan on expanding up to 10 but I think that will be my max in this coop.


----------



## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Robin,you were right with the 4 sq ft of floor space in the coop and like 10 sq ft in the run per bird.I have 8x10 coop with 26 birds and I let them loose in the yard.Most of the time,it"s adequate,they lay and roost in there and that's all they do in the coop.In the winter,with snow and/or extreme cold,they stay in and I wish it were bigger.In s w Ohio we get extremes/snow but it usually doesn't last long,a couple weeks at most.We got 5" snow yesterday and next weekend it's going up to mid 50's.I have to clean it a lot more often but everybody seems to get along,plus they still have access to the yard to get fresh air and stretch their legs.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Welcome Jason!

A lot depends on if they will free range or your temperature where you live. I live in Florida and my chickens are in the coop only for sleeping. So my coop may not have to be so big. My pens are pretty big as well. And they free range (which translates to free run of the back yard.)


----------



## Jason82 (Feb 7, 2016)

Thanks for the advice so far. I live in South Carolina and I will have a large pen for them to run around in. They will probably be able to roam the yard some.


----------



## Jason82 (Feb 7, 2016)

Thanks for all the advice so far. I live in South Carolina, they will have a large pen to run around in. They will probably free range some in the yard we will see how that goes.


----------



## Jason82 (Feb 7, 2016)

Sorry my tablet seems to not be working right tonight so if y'all see three replies my apologies. I live in South Carolina and they will have a large pen to run around in also. They will probably free range some we will see how that goes. Thanks for all the advice so far.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL Sometimes the forum gremlin does the same posts multiple times too.

In your case think heat. Summers get pretty hot and humid and if the confines of the coop are too tight the heat build up from the birds' bodies can get pretty big. This is where I kept a fan going throughout the night to keep the build up down.


----------

