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Enter standard, bantam, and large hens separately for a mixed flock, then pick daytime access: pen only, pen plus free range, or confined all day. The calculator returns coop area, pen area, total area, nest boxes, and roosting bar length. These are practical planning targets, not legal minimums: published Extension minimums are lower, and local ordinances and welfare codes may differ. Check local rules before building.
How much space do chickens need? The planning rule used here is a standard hen needs 4 sq ft of coop plus 10 sq ft of pen, a bantam needs 2 sq ft of coop plus 6 sq ft of pen, and a large breed needs 6 sq ft of coop plus 15 sq ft of pen. Square feet per chicken therefore depends on breed size, and bantam vs standard chicken space is about half for bantams. Worked example: how big a pen for 6 chickens at standard size with pen only access? Coop area is 24 sq ft, for example 4 ft by 6 ft, pen area is 60 sq ft, for example 6 ft by 10 ft, total area is 84 sq ft, nest boxes are 2, and roosting bar length is 5 ft. Chicken pen size for 4 chickens at standard size is 16 sq ft of coop plus 40 sq ft of pen. How much space for 10 chickens? 40 sq ft of coop plus 100 sq ft of pen, with 3 nest boxes. Chicken pen dimensions follow from area: pick a length and width that multiply to the area, with a long narrow pen often better than a square one for ranging and cleaning.
Use this chicken coop size chart and chicken run size chart for quick planning, and use the calculator for mixed flocks. Coop size per chicken with a run is 2 sq ft for bantam, 4 sq ft for standard, and 6 sq ft for large breeds, while run size per bird is 6, 10, and 15 sq ft in the same order. Minimum coop size for 6 chickens is 24 sq ft of coop plus 60 sq ft of pen at standard size, but published minimums are lower: Penn State Extension small flock minimums are 1 sq ft of coop plus 4 sq ft of run for bantam, 1.5 plus 8 for a laying hen, and 2 plus 10 for a large bird, and the Merck Veterinary Manual gives 1.5 to 2 sq ft indoors plus 8 to 10 sq ft outdoors for laying hens. Those are floors, not targets, and this page uses the practical backyard targets. Chicken pen size in square feet and square metres converts at 1 sq ft equals 0.092903 sq m, so 84 sq ft is about 7.8 sq m. Chicken coop size without a run is different: a confined all day standard bird needs 8 to 10 sq ft of coop, which is why the confined setting doubles coop area in this calculator.
Bantam chicken pen size is about half standard size: 2 sq ft of coop and 6 sq ft of pen per bantam, with 6 in of roost per bird and a smaller nest box of about 12 in by 10 in. Large breed chicken run size is 15 sq ft of pen per bird, with 6 sq ft of coop, 12 in of roost, and a larger nest box of about 14 in by 14 in. Chicken pen size for free range chickens can be reduced by about one third if birds free range most of the day, but the coop stays at full size and a secure pen is still essential. Chicken tractor size per bird on fresh ground is smaller, about 3 to 5 sq ft, because the tractor moves daily, but that only works with daily moves. How many chickens per square foot? The inverse of the planning rule is 1 standard hen per 4 sq ft of coop and 1 per 10 sq ft of pen. Should I size up my coop for winter? Yes, if birds will be confined more in winter, size toward the confined setting, because winter confinement is when overcrowding signs appear first.
How many nesting boxes per chicken? One nest box per 4 hens, with a minimum of 2 boxes, at 12 in by 12 in for standard hens. Roosting bar length per chicken is 6 in for bantam, 10 in for standard, and 12 in for large breeds, and roost space does not replace floor space. Do nesting boxes count as coop floor space? No. Nest boxes, feeders, and waterers do not count as usable floor space, so measure the open floor, not the whole building footprint. Chicken pen fencing calculator thinking: fencing perimeter follows your pen length and width, mesh area is perimeter times height plus about 10 percent overlap, and a predator apron of 18 in laid flat outward all round helps against digging predators. Use half inch hardware cloth to at least 3 ft, a roof or netting over the full pen footprint, and a walk in height of 6 ft where possible. Will grass survive in a chicken run? No, grass will not survive at 10 sq ft per bird in a static pen, which needs about 250 sq ft per bird or rotation, so plan on deep coarse wood chips as the realistic surface. Is a chicken run the same as a chicken pen? Yes, run, pen, enclosure, and chicken yard mean the same outdoor fenced area in most guides, and can a chicken run be too big? No, bigger is better, provided fencing and predator protection cover the whole area. Signs of overcrowding are feather pecking, ammonia smell, sleeping in nest boxes, and aggression, and ventilation of about 1 sq ft per 10 sq ft of floor helps in all seasons.
A standard hen needs 4 sq ft of coop with a run, a bantam needs 2 sq ft, and a large breed needs 6 sq ft. Published minimums are lower at 1.5 sq ft for a laying hen, but those are floors, not comfortable targets.
A standard hen needs 10 sq ft of pen or run, a bantam needs 6 sq ft, and a large breed needs 15 sq ft. Free ranging most of the day reduces the pen by about one third, but the coop stays at full size.
For 6 standard hens, 24 sq ft of coop, for example 4 ft by 6 ft, plus 60 sq ft of pen, for example 6 ft by 10 ft, with 2 nest boxes and 5 ft of roost.
Yes, bantams need about half standard space: 2 sq ft of coop and 6 sq ft of pen per bird, with 6 in of roost and a smaller nest box.
One nest box per 4 hens, with a minimum of 2 boxes. Nest boxes do not count as coop floor space.
No. Measure usable open floor space, excluding nest boxes, feeders, waterers, and roost bars, when checking against the planning targets.
Yes. Run, pen, enclosure, and chicken yard all mean the same fenced outdoor area in most guides, distinct from the coop itself.
No, a bigger run is better for welfare, provided fencing, mesh, apron, and roof cover the whole area and predators cannot enter.
No, grass will not survive at 10 sq ft per bird in a static pen. Plan on deep coarse wood chips, or rotate the pen, or use a chicken tractor moved daily.
Walk in height of 6 ft is ideal for cleaning and access, while birds only pens can be 3 to 4 ft high, with roof or netting over the full footprint.
About 0.25 sq ft per chick in week 1, rising to about 0.5 sq ft at 2 to 3 weeks, 0.75 sq ft at 3 to 5 weeks, 1 sq ft at 5 to 8 weeks, and 1.5 sq ft from 8 weeks onward in a brooder.
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