What size coop for 15 chickens?

[Faydra]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and new to chickens. My fiancé and I would like to have a chicken coop built on our 600 acre ranch. Can someone please advise approximately what size of chicken coop we will need to house around 15 chickens? Also, can anyone recommend plans for a good, well insulated (we are in Canada) chicken coop that we can give to our contractor? Thanks in advance!

Faydra

 

[RJSorensen]

Hello, and welcome to BYC!

You should plan on four square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run. These are just the general rule of thumb on BYC. So for the coop you would need at least 60 square feet. But for you I would perhaps suggest something on the order of 12' by 16' so as to have room for your additions, which I am sure you will find yourself needing. It is also a economical size building. Always build bigger, if you can. You can always use the space.

There are lots of designs for coops and such here, look at the selections under the 'coops' tab above. Read this post https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop which should be a great help as well.

Best to you and your new life with chickens, sounds like fun,

RJ

 

[iwiw60]

Personally I think 4 sq.ft. per bird in the coop is just way too 'tight' ... JMHO...

 

[Folly's place]

Build big!!! There are lots of coop plans available, and the basics are straightforward; predator proof, really good ventilation, south facing windows,, dry and cleanable. Probably some insulation, at least in the roof. Cute is extra! I also think that four sq. ft. is tight for big birds; I've got five sq. ft. in my coop per bird, and almost half are bantams. It gets a little tense during long snowy spells in winter when they don't want to be out very much. I hope to roof over my run this summer, for more winter space. Mary

 

[iwiw60]

Quote: Yes, exactly. Here in Central Oregon we face snowy winter from mid-to-late November through March...that's a LONG time for your flock to be cooped up. Fights can break out and just plain frustration...I don't blame them one bit! Don't get me wrong, they will have access to their attached run, which I will have 'wrapped' in 6-mil clear plastic (except for the very top for ventilation)...but when it's blowing snow and temps are hovering around 20 degrees, they usually will seek the coziness of the coop. My birds have approx. 10 sq.ft./bird in the coop so they can get away from each other when they need to.

 

[ECBW]

600 acres? I cant even imagine it!!!!

Considering your land size and location, build it big and strong. Your neighbors of the homosapien kind should not mind while other kinds would like to party with your chickens.

Chickens usually are fine outdoor in very cold temperature, but if you plan to keep them "cooped up" in the cold canadian winter, have 4, 8, 10sf or more per bird. Remember chicken math, at some point you might decide to have more than 15. I have a coop and connecting run. My flock is not locked in the coop which is small but used mostly for sleeping and has 9LF of roost. It held up to 10 birds once with no problem, but I like keeping 5 to 7.

Having one custom built is an option (is cost a concern?). Many of us enjoy building our own coops, or you might consider using a store-bought shed and modify. Browse everyone's site for ideas (mine are buiit with mostly recycled and reclaimed material).

There are so many details that you should know such as site selection, venting, lighting, nest placement, roost placement, winter care (freezing water). You will get an avalanch of different suggestions, different strokes... regardless, it will be fun.

 

[iwiw60]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and new to chickens. My fiancé and I would like to have a chicken coop built on our 600 acre ranch. Can someone please advise approximately what size of chicken coop we will need to house around 15 chickens? Also, can anyone recommend plans for a good, well insulated (we are in Canada) chicken coop that we can give to our contractor? Thanks in advance!

Faydra

Have you visited the BYC thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance
Coop Run Design Construction Maintenance

TONS of information, plans, ideas...everything from homemade pallet coops to palaces.

 

[Faydra]

Thank you everyone for all your help! We are going to make the coop on the bigger side (10sq ft per chicken). The run is also going to be quite large as we want to keep several garden boxes in it.

Originally my fiance was going to build it himself but we opted to hire our contractor to deisgn and build one. I sent him a few plans from this site to give him a general idea of what we want. Very excited!!

I will post pictures once it's started...

Faydra

 

[ECBW]

Red flag on the garden in the run. Guess what will happen to your plants?

You should know the predators in your area so the fortification can be adequate. I enclose my run with welded 2x4 metal fabric and good enough for foxes (the biggest predator we see here). If you have bears...

 

[Faydra]

The plants will be for the chickens, I have my own garden near the house.

We have many predators including bears in our area, but being a horse/cow ranch we are very well equipped and adept at keeping predators under control.