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How Big Should a Chicken Coop Be for 50 Chickens?
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Figures for this flock
| Figure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coop floor | 200 sq ft | 50 × 4 sq ft. The 4 sits inside eXtension 3-4 sq ft and Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft. |
| Indoor minimum, not recommended | 75 to 100 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 | 500 sq ft | 50 × 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 | 400 sq ft | 50 × 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 | 10 to 13 | Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension. Full breakdown: how many nesting boxes per chicken. |
| Nest boxes, Penn State count | 14 | 2 for the first 4 hens, then 1 per 4 more (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Utah 6-10 in | 300 in (25 ft) to 500 in (41 ft 8 in) | 50 × 6 in to 50 × 10 in (Utah State Extension). |
| Roost, Penn State 6 in | 300 in (25 ft) | 50 × 6 in (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Maryland 6-7 in | 300 in (25 ft) to 350 in (29 ft 2 in) | 50 × 6 in to 50 × 7 in (Maryland Extension). |
| Feeder space | 100 to 150 in | 150 in (Penn State Extension); 100 to 150 in (Maryland Extension). Weekly pounds are below; cost math is in the feed cost guide. |
| Nipple drinkers | 7 to 9 | 1 nipple per 6-8 birds (Penn State Extension). |
| Waterer | 1 five-gallon | A five-gallon waterer covers up to 75 hens, and 50 is under 75 (Maryland Extension). |
| Feed per week | 150 lb | 50 × about 3 lb for a 6-pound hen (Minnesota Extension). |
Feed is the clean product on this flock: 150 lb is exactly 3 bags of 50 lb. The waterer does not grow with the bags. Maryland Extension still covers 50 hens with one five-gallon waterer, because the cap is 75, while nipples move to 7 at one per 8 birds and 9 at one per 6. The division is in the steps below.
Roost length will not be one stick. Penn State Extension at 6 in is 300 in (25 ft). Utah State Extension at 10 in is 500 in (41 ft 8 in). Space the bars 1 ft apart (Penn State Extension) or 14 in apart (Utah State Extension). The roost page holds the heights and the 2×2 bar.
How to size it
Fifty is a lighting problem and a feeder-layout problem on top of the usual multiplication.
- Coop floor. 50 × 4 = 200 sq ft. eXtension publishes 3-4 sq ft indoors (50 × 3 = 150 to 50 × 4 = 200). Minnesota Extension publishes 3 to 5 sq ft (50 × 3 = 150 to 50 × 5 = 250). The 4 sq ft figure used on this site sits inside both ranges.
- Indoor minimum, not recommended. 50 × 1.5 = 75 sq ft and 50 × 2 = 100 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. 50 × 10 = 500 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 50 × 8 = 400 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: 50 ÷ 5 = 10. One per 4: 50 ÷ 4 = 12 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 13. The range is 10 to 13 boxes. Penn State Extension starts with 2 nests for the first 4 hens, then one more per 4 additional hens. 50 − 4 = 46 additional hens, and 46 ÷ 4 = 11 with a remainder of 2, so add 12. The total is 14 nests.
- Roost length. Utah State Extension 6 to 10 in is 300 in (25 ft) to 500 in (41 ft 8 in). Penn State Extension 6 in is 300 in (25 ft). Maryland Extension 6 to 7 in is 300 in (25 ft) to 350 in (29 ft 2 in). Divide inches by 12 to get feet.
- Feeder, nipples, water. Penn State Extension feeder space is at least 3 in, so 50 × 3 = 150 in. Maryland Extension is 2-3 in, so 50 × 2 = 100 to 50 × 3 = 150 in. Penn State Extension says 1 nipple per 6-8 birds. At one nipple per 8 birds, 50 ÷ 8 = 6 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 7. At one nipple per 6 birds, 50 ÷ 6 = 8 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 9. Plan 7 to 9 nipples. Maryland Extension says a five-gallon waterer can accommodate up to 75 hens, and 50 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. 50 × 3 = 150 lb per week. 150 ÷ 50 = 3 bags of 50 lb per week.
- Example footprint. 200 sq ft is 10 × 20 ft. 500 sq ft is 20 × 25 ft.
Lighting for this 200 sq ft floor
Maryland Extension says one 25-watt bulb lights 40 sq ft, so 200 ÷ 40 = 5 of those bulbs cover 200 sq ft. The same source says one 40-watt bulb lights about 200 sq ft, so 1 bulb of that size matches this coop. Penn State Extension says one low-intensity bulb (40 watts or less) every 40 ft at ceiling height, and that a bird needs only 1 foot-candle for year-round production. A 10 × 20 ft example of the 200 sq ft floor is 20 ft on the long side, and 20 is less than 40, so one bulb meets that spacing on a house of this footprint.
Minnesota Extension says hens need at least 12-14 hours of light a day to keep laying. Maryland Extension says 14 hours total light maintains egg production. Heat lamps are a different question from this daylight fill: the winter heat-lamp guide is the longer page on winter heat.
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Related
- Chicken coop size calculator — any other bird count.
- Coop size for 30 chickens
- Coop size for 25 chickens
- Roost space per chicken
FAQ
How big should a chicken coop be for 50 chickens?
Start from 200 sq ft of coop and 500 sq ft of run for 50 standard hens. That is 50 times 4 sq ft and 50 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.
What light does a 200 sq ft coop need?
Maryland says one 40-watt bulb lights about 200 sq ft, so one bulb of that size matches a 200 sq ft floor. The same source says one 25-watt bulb lights 40 sq ft, and 200 divided by 40 is 5 of those bulbs. Penn State says one bulb of 40 watts or less every 40 ft, and that a bird needs only 1 foot-candle.
How many 50-lb bags do 50 hens eat in a week?
Minnesota's rate is about 3 lb a week for a 6-pound hen. 50 times 3 is 150 lb, and 150 divided by 50 is 3 bags a week.
Do 50 hens still share one five-gallon waterer?
Yes. Maryland says a five-gallon waterer can accommodate up to 75 hens, and 50 is under 75. Nipple drinkers are separate: 50 divided by 8 rounds up to 7, and 50 divided by 6 rounds up to 9, so plan 7 to 9 nipples. Feeders go in separate areas because 50 is more than 25 birds.
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.