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Chicken coop size: how much space do your hens need?

Plan a backyard chicken coop: floor space, run area, roost length, nest boxes, daily feed and the eggs you can expect, by number of hens and breed size.

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Coop floor area

24.0

Run area

60

Roost length
60
Nest boxes (1 per 4 hens)
2
Layer feed per day
1.50
Eggs per week, on average over the year
29

Planning a backyard flock

Backyard hens give fresh eggs, eat kitchen scraps and garden pests and produce compost-ready manure. Space is the key to healthy, calm birds: crowded hens peck each other, get sick more often and lay less. The calculator sizes the coop, the run, the roosts and nest boxes and estimates feed and eggs.

Space guidelines

Item Standard hen Bantam Large breed
Coop floor 4 sq ft 2 sq ft 5 sq ft
Run 10 sq ft 5 sq ft 12.5 sq ft
Roost 10 in 5 in 12.5 in

Plus one nest box, about 12 × 12 inches, for every four hens.

Example

Six standard hens need:

  • Coop: about 24 sq ft, for example 4 × 6 ft
  • Run: about 60 sq ft, for example 6 × 10 ft
  • Roosts: 60 inches, in one or two bars
  • Nest boxes: 2
  • Feed: about 1.5 lb of layer feed a day
  • Eggs: about 29 a week on average over the year, more in spring and summer

Coop design

  • Ventilation: openings high on the walls, about 1 sq ft per 10 sq ft of floor, to remove moisture and ammonia without drafts at roost level.
  • Roosts: 2 to 4 ft high, 2-inch-wide bars with rounded edges, higher than the nest boxes so hens do not sleep in them.
  • Predator protection: hardware cloth rather than chicken wire, buried 12 inches or with an apron, and a door closed at night against raccoons, foxes and hawks.
  • Litter: pine shavings or straw, refreshed regularly or managed as deep litter.
  • Light: hens need about 14 to 16 hours of daylight to lay steadily.

Before you start

Check local zoning and HOA rules: many towns allow a few hens but ban roosters, and some require a permit or minimum distances from neighbors. Chickens are social, so keep at least three. Plan for winter water that does not freeze, for vacations and for the years when hens stop laying, since they can live 8 to 10 years.

Health

Buy vaccinated chicks from a reputable hatchery, quarantine new birds for 30 days and wash hands after handling poultry or eggs, as they can carry Salmonella. Contact your state veterinarian or extension office about avian flu reporting.

Frequently asked questions

How much space does a chicken need?

About 4 sq ft inside the coop and 10 sq ft in the run per standard-size hen, about half as much for bantams and more for large breeds such as Brahmas.

How many nest boxes do I need?

One nest box for every 4 to 5 hens is enough, since hens share them. Boxes about 12 × 12 inches, raised off the floor and lower than the roosts, keep eggs clean.

How much do hens eat?

A laying hen eats about 1/4 lb (110 to 120 g) of layer feed a day, more in cold weather. Add oyster shell for calcium and always provide clean water.

How many eggs will I get?

Laying breeds produce 250 to 300 eggs a year in their first two years, so about 5 eggs a week per hen at best. Laying slows in winter and with age, and stops during molt.

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Results are estimates provided for information purposes. They do not replace professional advice.

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