Chickens, Info Guides
Best Chicken Coop For 10 Chickens
Apr
Are you looking for the perfect chicken coop to house 10 chickens? If so, you’ve come to the right place! While finding the best chicken coop for your feathered friends may seem intimidating, it doesn’t have to be.
In this blog post, we will discuss sizing, our best coop recommendations, and answer some common questions about looking after 10 chickens.
What Size Chicken Coop Do I Need for 10 Chickens?
People raising backyard chickens often ask us – what sized coop do I need? The size of your chicken coop is determined by the number of chickens you plan to house.
It is obvious 10 chickens will need a “large chicken coop“. But how big does it really need to be?
Roosting Area
When choosing a coop, the first thing to check is whether there is enough roosting space for 10 chickens. Your entire 10 chicken flock will need to be able to fit on the roosting bars at the same time, to ensure they all have somewhere to perch at night time together.
Each standard sized hen needs 20cm of roosting space. So for 10 chickens, you need at least 200cm of roosting bars. This can be across multiple bars. For example, you could have two roosting bars that are 100cm long each.
Nesting Boxes
A nesting area is an enclosed space where a hen goes to lay eggs. When shopping for a chicken coop, the second thing to check is whether it has enough nesting boxes to accommodate 10 hens.
You need roughly one nesting area for every three or four chickens. Contrary to what many people think, laying hens do not need a nesting box each.
They won’t all lay their eggs at the exact same time. They will take turns and are usually happy to share nesting spots. Therefore, when housing 10 hens you need three or four nesting boxes inside your coop.
Run
If your chickens are going to be housed inside their coop during the day time, you will need to choose one with a large outdoor space (known as a chicken run).
This will give them enough space to roam around, stretch their wings, scratch in the dirt, and exhibit other natural chicken behaviours. It is recommended you offer at least 1 square metre of run space per chicken.
However, the more room you can give chickens the happier they will be! If your chickens will be let out every day for free ranging in your backyard, you will not need to worry about a run on your coop.
Best Chicken Coops for 10 Chickens
Homestead Chicken Coop
The Homestead is a large chicken coop courtesy of Somerzby. It is flat packed but easy to assemble using only a battery powered screwdriver.
Its large walk in design makes it easy to access – although you do have to duck to get through the door. The Homestead is a sturdy coop made from rot resistant fir wood, helping it to last a long time in your backyard.
How Many Chickens:
The Homestead is a classic coop that can comfortably house 10-12 chickens, if you let them out for a daily free range in your yard.
External Dimensions:
L288cm x H180cm x W217cm. This includes the nesting box and roof overhang. Height is to the peak of the roof.
Ground Dimensions (footprint):
L274.5cm x W164cm
Perches:
3 perches that can fit 4 hens each. This means the roosting area can fit up to 12 full sized chickens at a time.
Nesting Boxes:
1 nesting box that is divided into 3 nesting spaces. This is suitable for 10-12 hens. The nesting box lid opens for easy egg collection.
Pull Out Tray for Easy cleaning:
The Homestead has one large slide out tray for easy cleaning. Cover the pull out tray in absorbent, disposable bedding (such as wood shavings, shredded paper or sugar cane mulch).
Price (at time of publish):
$920.00
Homestead and Run Package
The ‘Homestead and Run Package’ is the Homestead Chicken Coop sold with the Large Run. It is a spacious coop if you are looking to start raising chickens.
The Large Run attachment is made from strong fir wood and helps protect your chickens from predators, while still being able to free range in the fresh air and scratch around for their own food in the dirt outside.
The extension has two doors, making your flock easy to access. But note you will have to duck through the access doors to get inside.
How Many Chickens:
The Homestead and Run package is the perfect coop to house up to 10 hens full time.
The perches and nesting boxes are as listed under the ‘Homestead’ above.
External Dimensions:
L588cm x H180cm x W217cm. This includes the nesting box and roof overhang. Height is to the peak of the roof. It is only suitable for large backyards.
Ground Dimensions (footprint):
L574.5cm x W164cm
Price (at time of publish):
$1,450.00
Can a Chicken Coop Be Too Big?
When building a hen house, the most important thing is making sure your coop isn’t too small and that each chicken has enough space. Overcrowding can result in poor ventilation, stressed chickens, bullying, health issues, and decreased egg production.
A small coop will also have chicken poo accumulate faster and will therefore need to be cleaned more often to stay hygienic.
Having a chicken coop that is too big is not a bad thing!
It will ensure your chickens always have plenty of freedom to move around, spread their wings and scratch in the dirt without bumping into one another. This mimics what chickens would have in nature. The more room chickens have, the happier they are!
Plus, having a large coop will allow you extra space to grow your small flock over time. When in doubt, it is better to go too big than too small.
What Do I Need to Include in My Chicken Coop?
When considering the size of your chicken coop, think about what items need to fit inside.
Nest Box
You will need nesting boxes for your laying hens. All Somerzby chicken coops come with nesting boxes mounted onto the side of the coop for easy access.
If you have purchased a chicken coop from elsewhere and it doesn’t come with nesting boxes, you will need to add them in yourself.
Ensure your coop has enough space inside for you to add in nesting boxes without taking away necessary roosting area.
Feeders & Drinkers
When calculating how much space you need, factor in that your chicken coop will need adequate space available for feeders and drinkers.
Depending on how large your backyard flock is, you may want to allocate more space – a larger flock will need larger feeders and larger drinkers.
How Many Eggs Will I Get From 10 Chickens?
The average hen will lay 5 eggs per week. This means that 10 hens will give you roughly 50 eggs per week! However, this is not always consistent.
Hens will usually stop laying in the colder months or when they are moulting. The number of eggs laid can also be impacted by breed, diet, light exposure, stress, cold climates, weather, and how much room the chickens have.
Most breeds of chicken first begin laying when they are between 16-24 weeks old. Egg production will usually begin to slow down at 5 years old. They will then reach ‘retirement’ and stop laying at around 7 years old.
Collect eggs from the nesting room daily to avoid broody hens or broken eggs.
How Much Feed Do 10 Chickens Eat?
Full sized chickens typically eat 120g of feed per day. This means a flock of 10 chickens will eat approximately 8.4kg of feed weekly!
The Somerzby Automatic Chicken Feeder can hold 7.2kg of feed. This is enough to feed your flock of 10 chickens for 6 days. For a flock of 10 chickens, we recommend using a 6L plastic drinker. This would need to be refilled every 3 days.
Always check your flock’s food and water daily, to ensure they never run out. The amount they eat and drink each day can vary.
For example, they may drink more often in the hot summer months and drink less in cold climates. Hens will usually eat more when they are laying.
