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How Big Should a Chicken Coop Be for 20 Chickens?
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Figures for this flock
| Figure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coop floor | 80 sq ft | 20 × 4 sq ft. The 4 sits inside eXtension 3-4 sq ft and Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft. |
| Indoor minimum, not recommended | 30 to 40 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 | 200 sq ft | 20 × 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 | 160 sq ft | 20 × 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 | 4 to 5 | Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension. Full breakdown: how many nesting boxes per chicken. |
| Nest boxes, Penn State count | 6 | 2 for the first 4 hens, then 1 per 4 more (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Utah 6-10 in | 120 in (10 ft) to 200 in (16 ft 8 in) | 20 × 6 in to 20 × 10 in (Utah State Extension). |
| Roost, Penn State 6 in | 120 in (10 ft) | 20 × 6 in (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Maryland 6-7 in | 120 in (10 ft) to 140 in (11 ft 8 in) | 20 × 6 in to 20 × 7 in (Maryland Extension). |
| Feeder space | 40 to 60 in | 60 in (Penn State Extension); 40 to 60 in (Maryland Extension). Weekly pounds are below; cost math is in the feed cost guide. |
| Nipple drinkers | 3 to 4 | 1 nipple per 6-8 birds (Penn State Extension). |
| Waterer | 1 five-gallon | A five-gallon waterer covers up to 75 hens, and 20 is under 75 (Maryland Extension). |
| Feed per week | 60 lb | 20 × about 3 lb for a 6-pound hen (Minnesota Extension). |
Weekly feed is the figure that no longer fits in one sack. Minnesota Extension at about 3 lb a hen is 60 lb for this flock, a 50-lb bag plus 10 lb. Penn State Extension roost space at 6 in is 120 in, a 10 ft bar. Utah State Extension at 10 in is 200 in, which is 16 ft 8 in, so that upper length needs a second bar inside an 8 × 10 ft house.
The separate-feeder sentence in Penn State Extension is for more than 25 birds. Twenty is not over that line, so this page does not split the troughs. The 30-chicken page is where that rule is in force.
How to size it
Twenty is where the weekly feed passes a full 50-lb bag and the house is easier to walk into than to reach into.
- Coop floor. 20 × 4 = 80 sq ft. eXtension publishes 3-4 sq ft indoors (20 × 3 = 60 to 20 × 4 = 80). Minnesota Extension publishes 3 to 5 sq ft (20 × 3 = 60 to 20 × 5 = 100). The 4 sq ft figure used on this site sits inside both ranges.
- Indoor minimum, not recommended. 20 × 1.5 = 30 sq ft and 20 × 2 = 40 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. 20 × 10 = 200 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 20 × 8 = 160 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: 20 ÷ 5 = 4. One per 4: 20 ÷ 4 = 5. The range is 4 to 5 boxes. Penn State Extension starts with 2 nests for the first 4 hens, then one more per 4 additional hens. 20 − 4 = 16 additional hens, and 16 ÷ 4 = 4, so add 4. The total is 6 nests.
- Roost length. Utah State Extension 6 to 10 in is 120 in (10 ft) to 200 in (16 ft 8 in). Penn State Extension 6 in is 120 in (10 ft). Maryland Extension 6 to 7 in is 120 in (10 ft) to 140 in (11 ft 8 in). Divide inches by 12 to get feet.
- Feeder, nipples, water. Penn State Extension feeder space is at least 3 in, so 20 × 3 = 60 in. Maryland Extension is 2-3 in, so 20 × 2 = 40 to 20 × 3 = 60 in. Penn State Extension says 1 nipple per 6-8 birds. At one nipple per 8 birds, 20 ÷ 8 = 2 with a remainder of 4, so round up to 3. At one nipple per 6 birds, 20 ÷ 6 = 3 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 4. Plan 3 to 4 nipples. Maryland Extension says a five-gallon waterer can accommodate up to 75 hens, and 20 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. 20 × 3 = 60 lb per week. That is one 50-lb bag plus 10 lb (60/50 bags) per week.
- Example footprint. 80 sq ft is 8 × 10 ft. 200 sq ft is 10 × 20 ft.
For the 200 sq ft run, Penn State Extension says to bury run wire at least 12 in deep and toe it outward about 6 in. Maryland Extension says to use 1/2-inch hardware cloth over windows.
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Related
- Chicken coop size calculator — any other bird count.
- Coop size for 15 chickens
- Coop size for 25 chickens
- Coop size for 30 chickens
FAQ
How big should a chicken coop be for 20 chickens?
Set 80 sq ft of coop and 200 sq ft of run for 20 standard hens. That is 20 times 4 sq ft and 20 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.
How much feed do 20 hens eat per week?
Minnesota says a 6-pound hen eats roughly 3 pounds a week, so 20 times 3 is 60 lb a week. That is one 50-lb bag plus 10 lb.
Do 20 hens need feeders in separate areas?
No. Penn State says to put feeders in separate areas when there are more than 25 birds. A flock of 20 is under that line.
How long is the roost for 20 hens?
Penn State at 6 in is 120 in, or 10 ft. Utah at 6 to 10 in is 120 to 200 in, or 10 ft to 16 ft 8 in. Maryland at 6 to 7 in is 120 to 140 in, or 10 ft to 11 ft 8 in.
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.