What Size Chicken Coop Do I Need?

Chicken Coops for 4, 6, or 10 Chickens

No doubt, backyard chickens are all the rage these days. Some people want chickens for the fresh supply of eggs, others opt for a backyard chicken coop with four, six, or ten hens to give the kids a great experience and still others want to live less reliant on resources outside of themselves.

Whatever the case, the need for small backyard chicken coops is growing and with that comes questions about what size chicken coop you need to meet the needs of your flock.

Generally speaking, you should figure three square feet of space inside the chicken coop for each average-sized chicken and additional 5 square feet in outdoor space. But remember, that is generally speaking.

If you are asking the question, “What size chicken coop do I need?” read on…

Questions to Help Decide What Size Chicken Coop is Right

What type of chickens are you planning to buy?

The first big question you need to answer before you can determine the size of your chicken coop will be the kinds of hens you plan to purchase. We all know there are dozens of options when buying chicks for your backyard chicken farm. The American Poultry Association recognizes 53 large chicken breeds, not including the many specialty bantam breeds. Below you will find a handy chart with 40 different chickens including their weight, color, temperament, and even their egg-laying patterns.

Will your Chickens be Free Range?

The size of your chicken coop will also depend on the outdoor space your hens will have. If your chickens will be free-range chickens, then you can obviously consider a smaller coop. The coop can serve as a secure space for your chickens at night to protect them from predators and give them the rest they need so they can lay those fresh and beautiful eggs you are dreaming about.

Whatever the case, every chicken should have an ample amount of fresh air every day. They will be happier and your eggs will be more healthy.

Extra Tip: You might even want to consider an automatic chicken coop door to make it even easier for you. Some of them even have wifi controllers or are automated with the sunrise and sunset.

How about A Chicken Run?

If you do not want your hens roaming free-range on your property, then you could consider adding an outdoor chicken run to give your hens some area to run around outside. There are several advantages to adding a chicken run.

First, there will be less manure inside the coop. Less manure means ammonia levels in the chicken coop will be lower. High levels of ammonia are unhealthy no matter what breathing creature you have in your backyard.

Secondly, chickens with a chicken coop (including an outdoor run) will be happier and treat each other with greater respect. The extra space gives them more area to stay out of each other’s feathers (they don’t have hair).

The bottom line is this, just like humans, chickens will be happier and healthier if they get out into nature and have access to fresh air every day. If you want nice-looking chickens that are not getting into fights etc, consider adding a chicken run to your chicken coop.

Extra Tip: Whatever the case, make sure your coop has good ventilation.

How Much Space Do Chickens Need to Roost?

The next question to consider is the space chickens need to roost.

Every chicken coop needs roosting space. A roost also called a perch is where your chickens will rest and spend the night. They are typically within 2-3 feet of the floor of the chicken coop and run vertically as shown in the photos. They must be at the right height so the hens can easily reach them. If they are higher, then you need to consider a plank or steps for them to get to the roosting poles.

Why is this question important when considering the size of your coop?

The reason is that you will need to be sure to 6 to 10 inches on a roosting bar for each hen in your flock. If you have a chicken coop for 6 hens, then you should provide 36 to 60 inches of roosting space depending on the size of your hens. If you have a chicken coop for 10 hens, then you want to ensure you have 60 to 100 inches of roosting poles to give them plenty of space.

Note this, the chicken coop in the above photo comes with two rows of roosting poles.

How Much Coop Space Should Each Chicken Have?

Now that we have considered the importance of having an outdoor space for your hens to keep them happy and healthy, we can look at the space a typical chicken will need inside a chicken coop. Larger hens will obviously need more space than small bantam hens. Here are a few guiding principles and a chart including 40 different hen varieties to help you make your decision about the perfect size for your backyard flock.

Chart of Hen Breeds and Weight

	Breed Name	Bird Size	Egg Color	Behavior	Egg Laying
Source	Belgian D'Anver	or Antwerp Belgian	Barbu d'Anvers	1.8-3lbs	White
Source	Buff Sablepoot/Botted Bantam	2-4lbs	White or tinted in color	Adaptable to confinement or free range; mostly gentle; more easily handled.	Excellent
Source	Appenzeller	3-4.5lbs	White	Not very tolerant of close confinement; flyer; active	flighty
Source	Jaerhon or Norwegian Jaerhon or Norske Jærhøne	3.2-4lbs	White	Adaptable to confinement	but prefers free range; active
Source	Ancona	4-6 lbs	White	Prefers free range; nervous & restless in confinement; flyer; active	flighty
Source	Campine	4-6lbs	White	Economical eater; semi- adaptable to confinement	but prefers free range; flyer; alert
Source	Leghorn	4.5-6lbs	White	Economical eater; better adaptable to confinement then some Mediterranean; enjoys free range; flyer; flighty; spritely	noisy
Source	Ameraucana	4-5 lbs	Blue	Well adaptableto confinementor free range;mostly calm	non-aggressive
Source	Marans	5-8lbs	Dark brown	Varies widely by individual and strain.	Excellent
Source	Andalusian	5.5-7lbs	White	Semi-adaptable to confinement	but prefers free range; active
Source	Barnevelder	5-6lbs	Dark brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	docile
Source	Aseel	5- 5.4lbs	Cream	Bears confinement better than most other game breeds; extremely fierce & pugnacious	but docile & easily handled when away from other cocks; because of aggressiveness
Source	Dominique or Dominike	5-7lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm mostly	but more flighty than other dual purpose breeds
Source	Araucana	5-7.5lbs	Blue	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	non- aggressive
Source	Catalana	6-8lbs	White	Less tolerant of close confinement; active	vigorous
Source	Crevecoeur	6.5-8lbs	White	Suited for close (and dry) confinement; active; can be aggressive	Good
Source	Holland or American Holland	6.5-8.5lbs	White	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	good tempered
Source	La Fleche	6.5-8lbs	White	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; active	flighty
Source	New Hampshire or New Hampshire Red	6.5-8.5 lbs	Light brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm; can be docile or aggressive; can be curious	Excellent
Source	Faverolles	6.5-8lbs	Cream	Bears confinement well; alert; calm; very docile; genteel; prone to bullying by others	so may not do well in a mixed flock
Source	Australorp or Black Australorp	6.5-8.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	docile; more easily handled
Source	Buckeye	6.5-9lbs	Brown	Adaptable to confinement	very adaptable to free range; calm
Source	Chantecler	6.5-8.5lbs	Brown	Bears confinement well; calm	docile
Source	Delaware	6.5-8.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	docile
Source	Rhode Island	6.5-8.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; active	calm & fairly docile
Source	Wyandotte	6.5-8.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	Excellet
Source	Dorking	7-9lbs	White	Adaptable to confinement or free range; calm; docile; stately or awkward; fattens easily; more easily handled	Poor
Source	Minorca	7.5-9lbs	White	Adaptable to confinement	but prefers free range; restlessly active
Source	Naked Neck or Transylvanian Naked Neck or Turken	7-8lbs	Light brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; active; calm	docile; more easily handled
Source	Java	7.5-9.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	Good
Source	Langshan	7.5-9.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; active for their size; graceful; not as calm or docile as other large breeds	Good
Source	Malay	7-9lbs	Brown	Needs to be active; intolerant of close confinement; among the most aggressive	but more placid than most game birds; because of aggressiveness
Source	Plymouth Rock	7.5-9.5lbs	Brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm	docile; more easily handled
Source	Sussex	7-9lbs	Light brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm; gentle; active; can be curious; more easily handledgood	Good
Source	Orpington	8-10lbs	Brown	Adaptable to free range; very adaptable to confinement; docile; more easily handled; can be bullied	Excellent
Source	Spanish	White-Faced Black Spanish	Spanish White Ear	or Clownface Spanish	White-Faced Black Spanish
Source	Brahma	9.5-10lbs	Brown	Adaptable to confinement or free range; mostly gentle; more easily handled.	Good
Source	Welsumer or Welsummer	9.7-16lbs	Dark brown	Well adaptable to confinement or free range; lively	but more docile than flighty.
Source	Jersey Giant	10-13lbs	Brown	Because of size	not an economical eater; adaptable to confinement or free range; calm
Source	Sumatra	11-13lbs	White	Weeds to be active; intolerant of close confinement; pugnacious; because of aggressiveness	not recommended for a mixed flock

Heavy Chickens = 4 Square Feet Per Hen

We are defining large chickens as those weighing between 10 and 13 pounds on the list of chickens listed above.

Larger chickens should have a minimum of 4 square feet in a chicken coop if they have access to the outdoors. A good rule of thumb for larger breeds would be 10 square feet per bird if you combine indoor and outdoor space. If you are going with 10 large hens for your chicken coop, you should buy or build a coop that has 40 square feet in the interior and an outdoor run with 60 square feet of outdoor space.

A 6’x7’ chicken coop would work great if you plan to do free-range chickens or would also work well with a 6’x10’ chicken run. The two combined would give you 102 total square feet for the 10 chickens in your backyard. If you want to keep them inside all the time, then an 8×14 chicken coop would give you 114 square feet.

Light Chicken Breeds = 3 Square Feet Per Hen

We are defining light chickens as those weighing between 5 and 9 pounds on the list of chickens listed above in the article.

Lighter chicken breeds should have around 3 square feet of interior space and 4.5 square feet of outdoor space in the chicken run. In this case, you could fit around 10 chickens into a 5’x6’ chicken coop, 8 chickens into a 4’x6’ chicken coop, and six chickens into a 4’x5’ coop.

Again, be sure your hens each have another 4.5 square feet of exterior space to run around. That would mean you want to provide a 4’x12 outdoor run for 10 hens, a 4’x9’ chicken run for 8 hens and a 4’x7’ chicken run for six hens. You can always opt for the free-range idea and then skip the run.

Bantam Hens = 2 Square Feet Per Hen

Bantam hens are certainly beautiful and unique. They are typically smaller than other chickens which means their eggs will be smaller and they will need a smaller chicken coop.

Bantam hens should have two square feet of space per hen in a chicken coop and at least three extra square feet of outdoor space in a chicken run.

For Bantam chickens, you should be able to give 10 hens comfortable space in a 4’x5’ hen house with another 4’x8’ outdoor chicken run. If you plan to keep the Bantams inside all the time, then 5 square feet or a 6’x10’ chicken coop would be the minimum. If you plan to have 6 bantam hens, your chicken coop should be 3’x4’ with a chicken run that is 3’x6’. Again, it is not a good idea to keep your Bantam hens indoors at all times. We highly recommend adding a chicken run or allowing them to run free-range.

Find the Right Chicken Coop For Your Flock

There are certainly many more questions to answer on the topic of caring for your chickens after you have the chicken coop and chicken run ready to go, but now it’s time to break down a few of your options for a backyard chicken coop.

In the following section, we’ll give you a few options for buying a chicken coop for the number of hens you plan to house. We hope you will find one from the list of options below.

Chicken Coops for 4 Chickens

You want a few chickens but just a few, right? If your plan is to have 4 chickens in your backyard coop, there here are a few options. Keep in mind that this is a very small coop and should you decide to add more hens, you may wish you had purchased a larger chicken coop for your four hens.

Another Hen House for 4 Hens

This small hen house is available at Happy Farmer Store. This coop has some handy features including an easily movable option.  It has a built-in chicken run area which means your hens can easily have the space they need to roam without being free-range.

Note: This chicken tractor is great for 6-8 chickens or ducks. 

Chicken Coops for 6 Chickens

Next, we take a look at chicken coops for six chickens. Here again, we might recommend going a bit larger to make sure you have the space you need should you decide to grow your flock. Here’s one option.

Hen House for 6 Hens

Here you can find a chicken coop for six hens that includes the following:

• Tongue and groove siding
• 65″ high – 12″ off the ground
• 3 nesting boxes
• Cedar stain with green trim
• Forest green shingles

The Hen House Collection offers both stand-alone chicken coops and coops that include a chicken run area.

Chicken Coops for 10 Chickens

Find a chicken coop for 10 chickens and get that flock started soon. Here’s an option from the Hen House Collection.

Another Coop for 10 Chickens

This chicken coop for 10 hens comes from The Chicken Coop Company. It combines a chicken coop and a large chicken run so your hens will have plenty of space to run around. The coop will come boxed and ready for your assembly. It is 65.5 inches wide x 67 inches tall x 42 inches long with three 37.5-inch roosting rods and one 36-inch roosting rod.

The chicken coop and run together include an easy to clean pull out tray to catch their waste and keep things clean, heavy gauge hardware, wire mesh, hard plastic lined under roof panels, Ajustlock bolt latches, supporting braces between run panels, Acrylic sliding window, Fold down and LOCKING window covers, and more.

Happy Farmer Mobile Coops

Are you searching for a safe, durable, and convenient home for your chickens? Our aluminum moveable chicken coops and mobile coops for ducks and turkeys are designed with your feathered friends in mind. Our coops offer a range of benefits that make poultry-raising enjoyable and easy for everyone.