If you’ve decided to raise your very own flock of chickens, first, you’ll have to build a chicken coop. The size of your chicken coop depends on a couple of important factors, such as the type of bird and the amount of time they’ll spend inside it. Improperly sized coops can lead to unhealthy, stressed birds, so it’s essential to consider your flock’s spatial needs before purchasing livestock supplies.

How to Determine the Size of a Chicken Coop

Type of Chickens

Before thinking about building materials or livestock supplies for your coop, you need to decide what type of chickens you’ll be raising. Different chickens require different amounts of space, so knowing the type (breed and whether or not they’ll be going outside of the structure) is important to building a coop that is humane and comfortable for the birds. You can break chickens down into three categories: heavy, light, and Bantam birds.

Calculating the Space

Having enough space for your chickens keeps them disease-free and comfortable. Typically, chickens are either let outside during the day (free range) or kept inside of a coop at all times. For birds that will be free range during the day, heavy birds need at least four square feet per chicken, light birds need at least three square feet per chicken, and Bantam birds need at least two square feet per chicken. For birds that will only live in the coop, the necessary space increases to at least 10 square feet per heavy chicken, seven and a half square feet per light chicken, and five square feet per Bantam chicken. Once you know how much space you need for your coop, you can stock up on feed, nesting materials, poultry netting, and other livestock supplies for the structure.

If you’re looking forward to raising chickens, Bethel Feed & Supply Pet & Garden Center in Bethel, OH, has all of the supplies you need to maintain a healthy flock. For more than 150 years, the livestock supply shop has proudly provided the area with the best in products and customer service, helping countless gardeners and farmers alike raise healthy crops and animals. Their staff will help you find whatever you need, from high-quality feed to fencing materials. Visit the website for more information about their services, and call (513) 734-2246 to ask about current inventory.