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How Big Should a Chicken Coop Be for 15 Chickens?
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Figures for this flock
| Figure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coop floor | 60 sq ft | 15 × 4 sq ft. The 4 sits inside eXtension 3-4 sq ft and Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft. |
| Indoor minimum, not recommended | 22.5 to 30 sq ft | Penn 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. |
| Run | 150 sq ft | 15 × 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 minimum | 120 sq ft | 15 × 8 sq ft. Penn State Extension and Maryland Extension list 8 sq ft of run for laying hens. |
| Nest boxes, one per 4-5 hens | 3 to 4 | Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension. Full breakdown: how many nesting boxes per chicken. |
| Nest boxes, Penn State count | 5 | 2 for the first 4 hens, then 1 per 4 more (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Utah 6-10 in | 90 in (7 ft 6 in) to 150 in (12 ft 6 in) | 15 × 6 in to 15 × 10 in (Utah State Extension). |
| Roost, Penn State 6 in | 90 in (7 ft 6 in) | 15 × 6 in (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Maryland 6-7 in | 90 in (7 ft 6 in) to 105 in (8 ft 9 in) | 15 × 6 in to 15 × 7 in (Maryland Extension). |
| Feeder space | 30 to 45 in | 45 in (Penn State Extension); 30 to 45 in (Maryland Extension). Weekly pounds are below; cost math is in the feed cost guide. |
| Nipple drinkers | 2 to 3 | 1 nipple per 6-8 birds (Penn State Extension). |
| Waterer | 1 five-gallon | A five-gallon waterer covers up to 75 hens, and 15 is under 75 (Maryland Extension). |
| Feed per week | 45 lb | 15 × about 3 lb for a 6-pound hen (Minnesota Extension). |
Utah State Extension at 10 in is 150 in, which is 12 ft 6 in. A 6 × 10 ft example of the 60 sq ft floor has a 10 ft wall, and 12 ft 6 in is longer than 10 ft, so that upper allowance does not fit on one wall of that example. Split the bar. Penn State Extension spaces roosts 1 ft apart, and Utah State Extension spaces perch bars 14 in apart. Heights and the 2×2 bar are on the roost space page.
Penn State Extension at 6 in is 90 in, which is 7 ft 6 in, and 7 ft 6 in does fit on that 10 ft wall. Use the longer Utah number if you are building to the top of the 6-10 in range. eXtension says too little space leads to pecking and cannibalism, which is why 22.5 sq ft is not the target even though the math allows it as a minimum.
How to size it
At 15 hens the roost, not the floor multiplication, is the piece that stops fitting on one wall.
- Coop floor. 15 × 4 = 60 sq ft. eXtension publishes 3-4 sq ft indoors (15 × 3 = 45 to 15 × 4 = 60). Minnesota Extension publishes 3 to 5 sq ft (15 × 3 = 45 to 15 × 5 = 75). The 4 sq ft figure used on this site sits inside both ranges.
- Indoor minimum, not recommended. 15 × 1.5 = 22.5 sq ft and 15 × 2 = 30 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.
- Run. 15 × 10 = 150 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 15 × 8 = 120 sq ft.
- Nests, two published counts. Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension say one nest per 4 to 5 hens. One per 5: 15 ÷ 5 = 3. One per 4: 15 ÷ 4 = 3 with a remainder of 3, so round up to 4. The range is 3 to 4 boxes. Penn State Extension starts with 2 nests for the first 4 hens, then one more per 4 additional hens. 15 − 4 = 11 additional hens, and 11 ÷ 4 = 2 with a remainder of 3, so add 3. The total is 5 nests.
- Roost length. Utah State Extension 6 to 10 in is 90 in (7 ft 6 in) to 150 in (12 ft 6 in). Penn State Extension 6 in is 90 in (7 ft 6 in). Maryland Extension 6 to 7 in is 90 in (7 ft 6 in) to 105 in (8 ft 9 in). Divide inches by 12 to get feet.
- Feeder, nipples, water. Penn State Extension feeder space is at least 3 in, so 15 × 3 = 45 in. Maryland Extension is 2-3 in, so 15 × 2 = 30 to 15 × 3 = 45 in. Penn State Extension says 1 nipple per 6-8 birds. At one nipple per 8 birds, 15 ÷ 8 = 1 with a remainder of 7, so round up to 2. At one nipple per 6 birds, 15 ÷ 6 = 2 with a remainder of 3, so round up to 3. Plan 2 to 3 nipples. Maryland Extension says a five-gallon waterer can accommodate up to 75 hens, and 15 is under 75, so 1 waterer covers the flock.
- Feed. Minnesota Extension says a 6-pound hen eats roughly 3 pounds of feed each week. 15 × 3 = 45 lb per week. That is 45/50 of a 50-lb bag per week.
- Example footprint. 60 sq ft is 6 × 10 ft. 150 sq ft is 10 × 15 ft.
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Related
- Chicken coop size calculator — any other bird count.
- Coop size for 12 chickens
- Coop size for 20 chickens
- Roost space per chicken
FAQ
How big should a chicken coop be for 15 chickens?
Draw 60 sq ft of coop and 150 sq ft of run for 15 standard hens. That is 15 times 4 sq ft and 15 times 10 sq ft. The indoor 4 sq ft rate sits inside the eXtension 3-4 sq ft range and the Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft range.
Will one roost bar hold 15 hens?
Penn State's 6 in is 90 in, or 7 ft 6 in, which fits a 10 ft wall. Utah's upper 10 in is 150 in, or 12 ft 6 in, which is longer than a 10 ft wall, so that end of the range needs a second bar. Penn State spaces roosts 1 ft apart and Utah spaces bars 14 in apart.
How many nesting boxes for 15 hens?
15 divided by 5 is 3 boxes. 15 divided by 4 rounds up to 4 boxes. Penn State is 2 for the first 4 hens plus 3 more for the 11 additional hens, which is 5 nests.
What is the indoor minimum for 15 hens?
15 times 1.5 is 22.5 sq ft and 15 times 2 is 30 sq ft. That is the Penn State, Maryland, and Utah minimum band. eXtension says too little space leads to pecking and cannibalism, so 22.5 sq ft is a floor, not the plan.
Sources
- eXtension Small and Backyard Poultry, "Space allowances in housing for small and backyard poultry flocks". https://poultry.extension.org/articles/getting-started-with-small-and-backyard-poultry/housing-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks/space-allowances-in-housing-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks/. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
- University of Minnesota Extension, "Raising chickens for eggs" (reviewed 2025). https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/animals-and-livestock/poultry/raising-chickens-for-eggs. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
- Penn State Extension, "Small Scale Poultry Housing" (updated June 25, 2026). https://extension.psu.edu/small-scale-poultry-housing/. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension, "Housing Requirements" (updated May 11, 2022; space table from Clauer, 2009). https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/housing-requirements. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
- Utah State University Extension, "Housing Backyard Chickens" (peer-reviewed fact sheet, 2008). https://extension.usu.edu/poultry/research/housing-backyard-chickens. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.