Room per bird
About 3–4 sq ft inside per hen, plus 8–10 in the run. Crowding causes pecking, stress and disease.
A good coop is the difference between happy, laying hens and a fox's dinner. The essentials that actually matter.
About 3–4 sq ft inside per hen, plus 8–10 in the run. Crowding causes pecking, stress and disease.
Use ½" hardware cloth (not chicken wire) and bury it or apron it out — digging predators are the #1 killer.
Vents above roost height keep moisture and ammonia out without a draft on the birds. Damp coops make sick hens.
A nesting box per few hens and a roost bar higher than the boxes, so they sleep up and lay down there.
For coop plans plus food, water and power projects, The most complete beginner's manual we've found is The Self-Sufficient Backyard — Ron & Johanna Melchiore's 40 years off-grid distilled into food, water, power and 75+ DIY projects. Our honest take:
Garden beds, rainwater sizing, pantry days-of-supply and the weekly rhythm — free spreadsheet, straight to your inbox.