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Chicken coop size, floor, perches and nest boxes per bird.
How many hens, and do they have a run: the coop floor, the length of roosting pole and the number of nest boxes, from Oregon State University Extension's coop guide.
Your flock
Do they have a run or outdoor area?
Silkies?
Coop floor, at least
-
Floor in metres-
Roosting pole-
Pole height-
Nest boxes-
Figures from Oregon State University Extension's coop guide.
Where the numbers come from
All the figures are from Oregon State University Extension's guide Living on the land: Backyard chicken coop design (EC 1644, published 2014, reviewed 2023). It asks for at least 3 square feet of coop floor per bird when the birds can get out to a run or outdoor area, and 8 to 10 square feet per bird when they cannot.
Perches and nest boxes
- Roosting poles of 1- to 2-inch square lumber with the top edges rounded, 2 feet off the floor and 10 inches apart, with 5 to 10 inches of pole per bird. For silkies the guide puts the poles only 1 foot off the ground.
- One nest box for about every four birds, each about 12 inches deep, wide and tall, not on the ground and not lower than the roosting poles; a roof sloped at 45 degrees keeps birds from roosting on top.
Keeping predators out
- Raise the coop at least 1 foot off the ground and use secure flooring, such as a concrete slab or solid wood.
- Enclose the run with 1- by 2-inch mesh fencing, add netting or wire over the top, and bury the fencing 6 inches to 1 foot into the ground.
The guide notes that specific breeds may have different requirements, as with the lower poles for silkies.
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