In cosmopolitan, it ‘s better to provide besides a lot space for your chickens rather than excessively fiddling. Chickens can become a little cranky if they ‘re cooped up besides close for excessively long .
Indoor Chicken Coop Sizes
A good rule of thumb is that regular-sized chickens benefit from at least three to five square feet of chicken coop space per chicken if they have access to the outdoors.1 Preferably, you ‘ll provide space on the larger end of this size compass.
Reading: How Much Space Do Chickens Need?
The exact recommendations vary based on your chicken ‘s size. small chickens, like Bantam breeds, can be housed in a cage a small as two feet per chicken if they ‘re free-range.2 Medium breeds like Leghorn would need three squarely feet of chicken coop per chicken, while larger breeds like Plymouth Rock would need at least four square feet .
so, what size chicken chicken coop will you need for ten-spot chickens ? If you ‘re going with the minimal of three feet per medium-sized wimp because you have an outdoor run excessively, this would add up to approximately 30 square feet for a wimp coop.3 Try to plan for more if you can. Some people recommend 60 to 80 square feet for ten ripe chickens, which would be equal to an 8×10-square-foot chicken coop.4
If the weather is very cold or if your chickens wo n’t have entree to roam outdoor for another cause, then the cage space needs to be larger than the examples above. A small breed like Bantam would need five hearty feet per wimp preferably than two. A medium breed would need eight rather than three, and a larger breed would ideally have ten rather than four.5
You can even find wimp chicken coop size calculators online for a little supernumerary help. These tend to estimate a short higher than the minimal size, and some give different estimates depending on if you have a yard, a chicken coop, or a run.6
Outdoor Runs and Roosting
If you can, you ‘ll want to give your chickens a find to roam external. If you have mild weather and can let your chickens spend time outdoors most of the day, then you can get aside with a smaller indoor wimp chicken coop for them to sleep in at night .
Try to plan for at least 10 square feet of outdoor quad per chicken. But actually, the more quad you can provide, the happier your chickens will be .
In addition to outdoor space, your cage should have roosting bars—preferably at least eight to 12 inches per bird—so they can sleep comfortably at night.7 You can have wooden perches or use a Thermo-Chicken Perch that ‘s heated for the cold months .
You ‘ll besides want to provide a nest box for every three to four hens. When it ‘s cold, consider putting a heated diggings inside .
Chickens Need Their Space
You might have noticed that much of these sizing recommendations have ranges, and they all indicate that it ‘s better to have a chicken coop that ‘s excessively large quite than besides small. If you have the quad, just go with the larger sized chicken coop .
But why is that ?
When chickens are cooped up in close quarters for excessively long without outer space to move around, they can get a little cabin crazy. They might become aggressive and start pecking each early and even pulling feathers. Stressed chickens might even lay fewer eggs. In general, it ‘s much better to provide besides much space than excessively little.
When planning your chicken cage, calculate for the biggest size your space allows. If you can provide room for your chickens to have some outdoor time every day excessively, that ‘s even better. Just like people, chickens need a small personal space to call their own. Your chickens will be grateful. In reelect, you can expect lots and lots of delectable eggs .
- Steele, Lisa. “ Flock talk : How much Space Do My Chickens Need ? ” hobby Farms, 7 May 2018 ,https://www.hobbyfarms.com/flock-talk-much-space-chickens-need/ .
- The Hen House. “ How to Choose the Right Size Chicken Coop for Your Chickens. ” TheHenHouseCollection.com ,https://www.thehenhousecollection.com/blog/chicken-coop-size-selection-guide/ .
- Miller, Carrie. “ Coop Size and Chickens Per Square Foot. ” Community Chickens, 4 March 2019 ,https://www.communitychickens.com/coop-size-and-chickens-per-square-foot/ .
- The Hen House ,https://www.thehenhousecollection.com/blog/chicken-coop-size-selection-guide/
- Claborn Farms. “ How many Square Feet Per Chicken ? ” ClabornFarms.com ,https://www.clabornfarms.com/blog/square-feet-per-chicken/
- Mile Four. “ Chicken Coop Size Calculator. ” MileFour.com ,https://milefour.com/blogs/learn/chicken-coop-size-calculator.
- Steele, Lisa ,https://www.hobbyfarms.com/flock-talk-much-space-chickens-need/ .
