Just how much room does a chicken need? A chicken needs about 4 square-feet per bird inside the coop. That means a 10x10 coop would comfortably hold 25 birds.
A 10×12 chicken coop is designed to accommodate 50-55 chickens.
Large 8x10 Chicken Coop - 30 to 40 chickens.
A flock of 12 chickens should have a minimum of 36 square feet of interior space. This means that the requirement for interior space is at least a 6×6 room. For this need, a 6×12 square foot chicken coop will be sufficient.
These 4×8 chicken coops can house a wide range of chickens. The Q48C is a chicken run and coop combination, so it can't comfortably house as many chickens as the other models. The Q48C is a great choice for someone looking for a chicken coop for 6 chickens. Our D48 and Q48 chicken coops house 12-16 chickens.
The rule of thumb is to furnish one nest for every four to five hens in your flock. But if you have only four or five hens, providing two nests gives them a choice.
Just how much room does a chicken need? A chicken needs about 4 square-feet per bird inside the coop. That means a 10x10 coop would comfortably hold 25 birds.
Houses up to 32 chickens
The 8×8 Plymouth is our widest coop. The extra space is immediately apparent once you step inside, which means you'll have plenty of room to care for your flock. With nesting box access from outside the coop, gathering eggs has never been easier or more fun.
Is it less expensive to buy or build a chicken coop? If you're going to do it yourself, it's more budget-friendly to build a chicken coop from scratch.
Our 4×6 chicken coops fit anywhere from 3 to 12 chickens depending on the style. Our combination coops like the A46C comfortably fit 3-5 chickens because the square footage of the building is split between interior and exterior run space.
The chicken coop or chicken house
A backyard chicken coop is a safe house or shelter where the chickens can lay their eggs in nesting boxes and perch at night. It doesn't have to be massive (see below for recommended space), as they prefer to be outdoors during the day.
Choose an appropriate location to build your backyard chicken coop, about 30 feet from the house, and prepare the area by clearing any vegetation and leveling it.
An average hen lays 6 eggs a week (in summer.) You need 5-6 chickens to get two dozen eggs a week during the long days of summer. You need 8-10 chickens to get the same during the short days of winter - and you need to provide them with at least 12 hours of light to keep them laying.
The ideal height for a chicken roosting bar is at least 1 foot from the ground and 6 inches from the wall. If you're going to make the roost much higher than two feet, staggering several roosting bars like stairs at varying heights will make it easier for chickens to get up and down.
However, if chickens are kept within the coop or run for most of the time, the enclosure must be significantly larger to allow for nesting, wing flapping, running, scratching and other natural chicken behaviour. Each chicken needs space to flap their wings, move about, and build a nest as an absolute minimum.
Besides taking more time to clean, a coop that's too large will be colder in the wintertime unless you provide additional heat. A small coop can be warmed more easily by the chickens' body heat. However, an oversized coop is still preferred above an undersized coop.
Perfect for the backyard chicken hobbyist, this 4×8 Dutch style chicken coop houses 15-20 chickens. Purchase one for your hens from Horizon Structures! This little country barn style coop is just too cute to resist. Your hens are comfortable in the large interior with generous light and ventilation.
Here are some general space guidelines for your chicken coop and the chicken coop enclosure or run: Standard Breed Chickens: 4 square feet of coop space per bird; 8 square feet of run space per bird. Standard Heavy Breed Chickens: 8 square feet of coop space per bird; 15 square feet of run space per bird.
Free-range chickens will use their coop to lay eggs and roost at night but should ideally have about 8-10 square feet per chicken of outdoor space to forage and roam freely. Regular-sized chickens in enclosures need about three to five square feet of space per chicken inside a chicken coop.
In general, we recommend your chicken house and nesting boxes be raised about 50cm (or 20 inches high). This height discourages most terrestrial threats while still being low enough that your hens won't struggle too much getting inside.
Chickens instinctively seek high roosts to avoid predators. A roost is an elevated bar, branch or narrow plank on which chickens perch to sleep. Seeking high spots to spend the night has been part of chicken survival instincts since long before its domestication over 5000 years ago.
The first egg often arrives when hens are 18 weeks old, subject to breed, environment and nutrition. A rooster is not necessary for egg production unless you want to have fertilized eggs for hatching. When pullets are nearing their first egg lay, their behavior changes.