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How Big Should a Chicken Coop Be for 10 Chickens?

Quick answer: Ten standard hens need a 40 sq ft coop and a 100 sq ft run. Forty is 10 × 4 sq ft, and that 4 sits inside the eXtension allowance of 3-4 sq ft per hen and the Minnesota Extension allowance of 3 to 5 sq ft. One hundred is 10 × 10 sq ft of run from eXtension.

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Figures for this flock

FigureAmountSource
Coop floor40 sq ft10 × 4 sq ft. The 4 sits inside eXtension 3-4 sq ft and Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft.
Indoor minimum, not recommended15 to 20 sq ftPenn State Extension laying hens 1.5 sq ft and large chickens 2 sq ft; Maryland Extension uses that same table; Utah State Extension 1.5 to 2.0 sq ft.
Run100 sq ft10 × 10 sq ft. eXtension recommends 10 sq ft outdoors; Penn State Extension and Maryland Extension list 10 sq ft for large chickens.
Laying-hen run minimum80 sq ft10 × 8 sq ft. Penn State Extension and Maryland Extension list 8 sq ft of run for laying hens.
Nest boxes, one per 4-5 hens2 to 3Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension. Full breakdown: how many nesting boxes per chicken.
Nest boxes, Penn State count42 for the first 4 hens, then 1 per 4 more (Penn State Extension).
Roost, Utah 6-10 in60 in (5 ft) to 100 in (8 ft 4 in)10 × 6 in to 10 × 10 in (Utah State Extension).
Roost, Penn State 6 in60 in (5 ft)10 × 6 in (Penn State Extension).
Roost, Maryland 6-7 in60 in (5 ft) to 70 in (5 ft 10 in)10 × 6 in to 10 × 7 in (Maryland Extension).
Feeder space20 to 30 in30 in (Penn State Extension); 20 to 30 in (Maryland Extension). Weekly pounds are below; cost math is in the feed cost guide.
Nipple drinkers21 nipple per 6-8 birds (Penn State Extension).
Waterer1 five-gallonA five-gallon waterer covers up to 75 hens, and 10 is under 75 (Maryland Extension).
Feed per week30 lb10 × about 3 lb for a 6-pound hen (Minnesota Extension).

Forty square feet is 5 × 8 ft, and 100 sq ft of run is 10 × 10 ft. Minnesota Extension also says hens lay roughly 6 eggs per week, so 10 × 6 = 60 eggs a week if every hen hits that rate. That is a laying figure, not a space figure, and it assumes the 12-14 hours of light Minnesota Extension says hens need. This page does not size a bulb; the 50-chicken page does.

Bantams are a different row. Ten bantams on the 10-bantam page are held to the 1 sq ft and 4 sq ft minimums, not to this 40 sq ft floor.

How to size it

Ten is the round flock: the coop and the run both end in zeros, and the example floor is the 5 × 8 people sketch first.

  1. Coop floor. 10 × 4 = 40 sq ft. eXtension publishes 3-4 sq ft indoors (10 × 3 = 30 to 10 × 4 = 40). Minnesota Extension publishes 3 to 5 sq ft (10 × 3 = 30 to 10 × 5 = 50). The 4 sq ft figure used on this site sits inside both ranges.
  2. Indoor minimum, not recommended. 10 × 1.5 = 15 sq ft and 10 × 2 = 20 sq ft. Penn State Extension lists 1.5 sq ft for laying hens and 2 sq ft for large chickens, Maryland Extension prints the same table, and Utah State Extension lists 1.5 to 2.0 sq ft. Stay above that floor.
  3. Run. 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft from eXtension. Penn State Extension and Maryland Extension also list 10 sq ft of run for large chickens. Their laying-hen run line is 8 sq ft, and 10 × 8 = 80 sq ft.
  4. Nests, two published counts. Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension say one nest per 4 to 5 hens. One per 5: 10 ÷ 5 = 2. One per 4: 10 ÷ 4 = 2 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 3. The range is 2 to 3 boxes. Penn State Extension starts with 2 nests for the first 4 hens, then one more per 4 additional hens. 10 − 4 = 6 additional hens, and 6 ÷ 4 = 1 with a remainder of 2, so add 2. The total is 4 nests.
  5. Roost length. Utah State Extension 6 to 10 in is 60 in (5 ft) to 100 in (8 ft 4 in). Penn State Extension 6 in is 60 in (5 ft). Maryland Extension 6 to 7 in is 60 in (5 ft) to 70 in (5 ft 10 in). Divide inches by 12 to get feet.
  6. Feeder, nipples, water. Penn State Extension feeder space is at least 3 in, so 10 × 3 = 30 in. Maryland Extension is 2-3 in, so 10 × 2 = 20 to 10 × 3 = 30 in. Penn State Extension says 1 nipple per 6-8 birds. At one nipple per 8 birds, 10 ÷ 8 = 1 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 2. At one nipple per 6 birds, 10 ÷ 6 = 1 with a remainder of 4, so round up to 2. Plan 2 nipples. Maryland Extension says a five-gallon waterer can accommodate up to 75 hens, and 10 is under 75, so 1 waterer covers the flock.
  7. Feed. Minnesota Extension says a 6-pound hen eats roughly 3 pounds of feed each week. 10 × 3 = 30 lb per week. That is 30/50 of a 50-lb bag per week.
  8. Example footprint. 40 sq ft is 5 × 8 ft. 100 sq ft is 10 × 10 ft.

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FAQ

How big should a chicken coop be for 10 chickens?

Use 40 sq ft of coop and 100 sq ft of run for 10 standard hens. That is 10 times 4 sq ft indoors and 10 times 10 sq ft outdoors. The indoor 4 sq ft figure sits inside the eXtension 3-4 sq ft range and the Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft range.

What is the smallest indoor figure for 10 hens?

10 times 1.5 is 15 sq ft and 10 times 2 is 20 sq ft. Penn State and Maryland list 1.5 for laying hens and 2 for large chickens, and Utah lists 1.5 to 2.0. Call 15 to 20 sq ft a minimum, not a recommendation.

How many nesting boxes for 10 hens?

One per 5 hens is 2 boxes. One per 4 hens rounds 10 divided by 4 up to 3 boxes. Penn State is 2 nests for the first 4, plus 2 more for the 6 additional hens, which is 4 nests.

How many eggs a week does Minnesota's rate imply for 10 hens?

Minnesota says roughly 6 eggs per week. 10 times 6 is 60 eggs a week. The same source says hens need at least 12-14 hours of light a day to keep laying.

Sources