Determining What Size Coop You Will Need

When shopping or planning for your chicken coop, you will need to decide what size coop you will need to have.  Remember, the coop is the enclosed area that your chickens will sleep, where their egg boxes will be, where they will perch  and where they will be kept inside if the weather is too cold or if it is raining.  The size of the coop does NOT include the size of the run attached to the it.

To determine what size coop you will need choose one of the following statements that is true to your situation:

• My chickens will have access to an outside run year-round.
•  3 SQ/FT per bird INSIDE of the coop

• My chickens will have access to an outside run but not year-round (think snow).
• 5-10 SQ/FT per bird INSIDE of the coop 

• My chickens will not have access to an outside run.
• Minimum of 10 SQ/FT per bird INSIDE of the coop

General Size Guidelines

Small Coop:

2-5 chickens 

Medium Coop:

6-10 chickens 

Large Coop:

10 or more chickens