To make the coop, you can use two-by-fours to frame the inside, plywood for the walls, and corrugated sheet metal for the roof. If you’re building the coop yourself, you can get the plywood you need from a local lumber yard. They’ll also do the major cuts for you, which will save you time. Once you’ve measured out the measurements, you’ll need to mark them and cut out the openings for windows and doors.
Regardless of the breed, the coop you build should be large enough to house 60 chickens, including the rooster and any additional hens. If you’re buying a coop for just one hen, you’ll have to add an additional six square feet of space for each additional chicken. Adding up this number will give you a more accurate estimate of the space you’ll need.
If you’re planning to keep multiple hens, you’ll want a larger coop than you thought. Having multiple roosters can mean that your coop will need to have a greater square footage. Divide the total square footage of the coop by the number of hens and multiply it by the number of chickens. If you’re planning to raise more than six hens, you’ll need a coop that can accommodate that many hens.
Once you have a general idea of how many chickens you’d like, you’ll need to add up the square footage of the run. Remember that a single hen will require 10 square feet of space in the run, so you’ll need a minimum of five square feet per hen. Then, multiply the square footage by the number of roosters to find the minimum coop size for 60 chickens.
Once you’ve determined the number of chickens you’ll be keeping, you’ll need a coop with a corresponding run. Ideally, the run will be around 60 square feet. You should plan for at least six hens in a 24-square-foot coop. If you’re keeping more than sixty, you’ll need a coop that has an extra half-inch to six square feet of run.
Besides a coop, you’ll also need a run for the chickens. A typical hen will need about 10 square feet of run area. The space between the coop and the run should be five to six square feet per bird. Similarly, if you plan on keeping six hens, you need to have at least three times that space. You can increase this number if you want to, but it’s best to stick to a minimum of four square feet per bird.
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