10x5x7 coop...enough for 13 birds?

[brandonstokley]

I know this has been done to death but im going to ask anyway.

Ive got 10 Americana chicks coming and need to build a new coop.

my plan is 10 feet long 5 feet wide and 7 feet high(6 feet on the low side)

they will be free range in the 50x50 or so back yard during the day.

I have three marans already(2 pullets 1 cockerel)

am I good?

 

[nuthatched]

Just barely, but it could possibly work.
It's like 3 and 3/4 square feet per bird, you want 4, at the very least, per bird.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

That said, those are *guidelines*, not hard-and-fast *rules*.

BUT, you will need additional space for integration of new birds into the flock. So if you can go bigger, that's better.

Why 10x5 when lumber comes in multiples of 4 feet? You could build 12x6 with the same lumber, using 12-foot boards and cutting them in half for the short side instead of throwing away several feet of each board after cutting?

Some other thoughts,

Florida is an excellent place for an Open Air coop -- essentially a roofed run with a 3-sided shelter on the windward side. These are less expensive to build than traditional enclosed coops.

Here's my article on hot climate chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

My article on ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

And an excellent article on why those numbers above are *guidelines*: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

 

[Brooks_]

With daylight access to the run and a covered rainy day area, I think it will be fine. This is Fla, they do not have to be cooped.

 

[brandonstokley]

Welcome to BYC.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

That said, those are *guidelines*, not hard-and-fast *rules*.

BUT, you will need additional space for integration of new birds into the flock. So if you can go bigger, that's better.

Why 10x5 when lumber comes in multiples of 4 feet? You could build 12x6 with the same lumber, using 12-foot boards and cutting them in half for the short side instead of throwing away several feet of each board after cutting?

Some other thoughts,

Florida is an excellent place for an Open Air coop -- essentially a roofed run with a 3-sided shelter on the windward side. These are less expensive to build than traditional enclosed coops.

Here's my article on hot climate chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

My article on ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

And an excellent article on why those numbers above are *guidelines*: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

thank you!

yes I am planning on building the open air 3 sided with roof style.

those dimensions fit my space well and 10‘ pressure treated 2x4s are availble in my area.

as far as integration I planned on giving the new chicks about half the space once I move them out there at 6 weeks or so and leaving them in for a few weeks. then doing the roost plop at night once I see aggression subside.

there is another option of moving the cockerel to the bachelor pad out front and integrating with the pullets only. then reintroducing the cockerel once the Americanas have matured a bit.

 

[3KillerBs]

yes I am planning on building the open air 3 sided with roof style.

Excellent! I'm a huge advocate of Open Air coops in appropriate climates.

there is another option of moving the cockerel to the bachelor pad out front and integrating with the pullets only. then reintroducing the cockerel once the Americanas have matured a bit.

While there are no guarantees with living animals, there is a school of thought that holds that the best-behaved roosters are raised by mature hens, who don't put up with any teenage nonsense and teach the youngsters good chicken manners.

 

[brandonstokley]

While there are no guarantees with living animals, there is a school of thought that holds that the best-behaved roosters are raised by mature hens, who don't put up with any teenage nonsense and teach the youngsters good chicken manners.

so.... i ordered some bcms from greenfire farms and I got screwed on gender ratios. 4 males and 1 female. then the one female for killed by a hawk. thankfully I had picked up 2 barnyard "marans" pullets from a locale lady before she got killed. actually I got three but one turned out to be male.

so I had to build a "bachelor pad" chicken tractor for the front yard.

this debacle is what fueled the Americana purchase.

as of now I have 4 cockerels up front and 1 cockerel with 2 hens in the back.

the cockerel in the back(big boy) is definatley more assertive but I haven't had any aggression yet.

everyone is about at 16 weeks

 

[brandonstokley]

also, after my hawk attack which killed my 1 bcm hen I have thousand stringed overhead in the back yard as well as the run up front.

also have decoys in both yards that are moved daily as well as scare tape on the overhead strings

 

[brandonstokley]

ok, ive upped the size to 12x6. starting my build this weekend. I've got about 6 weeks to complete.

 

[3KillerBs]

Be sure to post plenty of pictures!