# How many chickens in coop??



## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

I have a 10x10 fenced area with a wood roof that keeps most of the water out but it does still get wet inside, there is no flooring just the ground and I put straw down. Attached is a 5x5 coop with the egg box and roosts.

Right now I have seven chickens and four ducks and the pen gets dirty very quickly. How many chickens could I keep in that size area and not have to clean all the straw out every two weeks? I was thinking of maybe just keeping three or four chickens and getting rid of everything else. I think the ducks make the biggest mess, pair of pekin,one muscovy and one khaki


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I'd only have two chickens in an area that big. I like everyone to have plenty of room, especially during the long winter days when they stay inside.


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## KAMM (Jan 25, 2011)

I like to have a minimum of 6 square feet per chicken in the coop. So I guess I'd say four, maybe five. You are right about the ducks, they make a huge mess. Our ducks have their own coop now and it's much easier to keep things cleaner.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

The "suggested minimum" is 4 sq ft per bird.
Bigger is better


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## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

I know they can be packed in like that but I wanted them to have enough pace that most of the waste would naturally compost befor I have to clean it or that I only have to clean the straw out every other month or so. The yard is 10x10 so thats 100 square and the house is 5x5 so thats 25 for a total of 125 square feet.


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## lauriej57 (Nov 20, 2008)

I would go with 4 square ft per chicken in the coop. That would give you room for 6 chickens. More space is always better though, making cleaning much eaiser.

In your area, you could probably get by with 7 chickens, because you shouldn't have to totally enclose them in the winter. I would lose the ducks though, because they are very messy, or, if possible, make them their own coop and run. 

I learned my lesson 2 winters ago, had about 3 more chickens in my coop than I should have, weather was in the single digits and blizzardy for close to 2 weeks. I had alot of pecking issues, and ended up with a couple of chickens in the house in a dog crate for a couple of weeks while they healed.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> The yard is 10x10 so thats 100 square and the house is 5x5 so thats 25 for a total of 125 square feet.


You can't figure capacity by adding them together.

The coop is big enough for six, and the "yard" is about right for 10.

The litter isn't going to "compost" inside the coop, because it shouldn't be wet enough.
It will break down some, and if you start with a thick layer, and keep adding to it , you can go quite a while before it needs a thorough cleaning.

Mixing in some lime will help control moisture and odors
Pine shavings are easier to deal with than straw


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## PakistaniFarmer (Aug 22, 2011)

each hen must be given at leat 1x1 ft of space


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

PakistaniFarmer said:


> each hen must be given at leat 1x1 ft of space


Only if you are raising quail.


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

It's the ducks. Ducks are incredibly messy and dirty.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It would probably help a LOT if you'd stop using straw in the run, and replace it with a thick layer of sand, so it can drain without being muddy.

Wet straw becomes a mess in a hurry


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## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

Thanks, They realyl do not make much mess in the coop, I think it is because the ducks almost never go in the coop and the chickens only go in at night. I have never enclosed them into the house during the winter they always have been able to go outside. The coop is actually bigger but the empty floor space is 5x5 because I have some triple stack rabbit cages in there also.

So if I would drop down to four chickens the mess should not be as bad? Their is a roof over the yard so must of the mud is in the corner where the water is because the duck play in it


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## PakistaniFarmer (Aug 22, 2011)

suelandress said:


> Only if you are raising quail.


May be lil wrong 1.5 x 1.5 for commercial poultry farms


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

Ducks are incredibly messy. If you want to cut down on the mess, get rid of the ducks and see how things go.


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## Wingdo (Oct 5, 2002)

Throw a tarp over the coop and run... I have done this when the weather gets rough and I've got an overload of chickens. It'll help but it isn't a permanent cure.


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