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How Big Should a Chicken Coop Be for 8 Chickens?
Full breakdown of the 6-hen house this flock sits next to: how big a chicken coop should be for 6 hens.
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Figures for this flock
| Figure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coop floor | 32 sq ft | 8 × 4 sq ft. The 4 sits inside eXtension 3-4 sq ft and Minnesota Extension 3 to 5 sq ft. |
| Indoor minimum, not recommended | 12 to 16 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 | 80 sq ft | 8 × 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 | 64 sq ft | 8 × 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 | 2 | Minnesota Extension, Utah State Extension, and Maryland Extension. Full breakdown: how many nesting boxes per chicken. |
| Nest boxes, Penn State count | 3 | 2 for the first 4 hens, then 1 per 4 more (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Utah 6-10 in | 48 in (4 ft) to 80 in (6 ft 8 in) | 8 × 6 in to 8 × 10 in (Utah State Extension). |
| Roost, Penn State 6 in | 48 in (4 ft) | 8 × 6 in (Penn State Extension). |
| Roost, Maryland 6-7 in | 48 in (4 ft) to 56 in (4 ft 8 in) | 8 × 6 in to 8 × 7 in (Maryland Extension). |
| Feeder space | 16 to 24 in | 24 in (Penn State Extension); 16 to 24 in (Maryland Extension). Weekly pounds are below; cost math is in the feed cost guide. |
| Nipple drinkers | 1 to 2 | 1 nipple per 6-8 birds (Penn State Extension). |
| Waterer | 1 five-gallon | A five-gallon waterer covers up to 75 hens, and 8 is under 75 (Maryland Extension). |
| Feed per week | 24 lb | 8 × about 3 lb for a 6-pound hen (Minnesota Extension). |
Thirty-two square feet is a 4 × 8 ft floor. Penn State Extension roost space is 6 in × 8 = 48 in, which is 4 ft, so one bar matches Penn State on the nose. Utah State Extension at 10 in is 80 in, which is 6 ft 8 in, so the Utah upper end still fits an 8 ft wall and the Penn State 6 in length does not use the whole wall.
Minnesota Extension lists Rhode Island Red and Wyandotte hens at about 6.5 lb and Orpingtons at about 8 lb. The feed line on this page stays the published one: roughly 3 lb a week for a 6-pound hen. These sources do not give a second weekly pound figure for the heavier breeds, so this page does not scale 3 lb up.
How to size it
Eight uses the same per-bird rates as the smaller flocks. The new constraint is bar length versus an 8 ft wall.
- Coop floor. 8 × 4 = 32 sq ft. eXtension publishes 3-4 sq ft indoors (8 × 3 = 24 to 8 × 4 = 32). Minnesota Extension publishes 3 to 5 sq ft (8 × 3 = 24 to 8 × 5 = 40). The 4 sq ft figure used on this site sits inside both ranges.
- Indoor minimum, not recommended. 8 × 1.5 = 12 sq ft and 8 × 2 = 16 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. 8 × 10 = 80 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 8 × 8 = 64 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: 8 ÷ 5 = 1 with a remainder of 3, so round up to 2. One per 4: 8 ÷ 4 = 2. Both ends land on 2 boxes. Penn State Extension starts with 2 nests for the first 4 hens, then one more per 4 additional hens. 8 − 4 = 4 additional hens, and 4 ÷ 4 = 1, so add 1. The total is 3 nests.
- Roost length. Utah State Extension 6 to 10 in is 48 in (4 ft) to 80 in (6 ft 8 in). Penn State Extension 6 in is 48 in (4 ft). Maryland Extension 6 to 7 in is 48 in (4 ft) to 56 in (4 ft 8 in). Divide inches by 12 to get feet.
- Feeder, nipples, water. Penn State Extension feeder space is at least 3 in, so 8 × 3 = 24 in. Maryland Extension is 2-3 in, so 8 × 2 = 16 to 8 × 3 = 24 in. Penn State Extension says 1 nipple per 6-8 birds. At one nipple per 8 birds, 8 ÷ 8 = 1. At one nipple per 6 birds, 8 ÷ 6 = 1 with a remainder of 2, so round up to 2. Plan 1 to 2 nipples. Maryland Extension says a five-gallon waterer can accommodate up to 75 hens, and 8 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. 8 × 3 = 24 lb per week. That is 24/50 of a 50-lb bag per week.
- Example footprint. 32 sq ft is 4 × 8 ft. 80 sq ft is 8 × 10 ft.
On the openings, Maryland Extension says to use 1/2-inch hardware cloth over windows. On the run skirt, Penn State Extension says to bury run wire at least 12 in deep and toe it outward about 6 in.
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Related
- Chicken coop size calculator — any other bird count.
- Coop size for 10 chickens
- Coop size for 12 chickens
- Roost space per chicken
FAQ
How big should a chicken coop be for 8 chickens?
Build 32 sq ft of coop and 80 sq ft of run for 8 standard hens. That is 8 times 4 sq ft and 8 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 is the bare indoor minimum for 8 hens?
8 times 1.5 is 12 sq ft and 8 times 2 is 16 sq ft. Those rates come from Penn State and Maryland (1.5 for laying hens, 2 for large chickens) and from Utah (1.5 to 2.0). The range is a minimum, not a recommendation.
How many nesting boxes for 8 hens?
8 divided by 4 is 2, and 8 divided by 5 rounds up to 2, so the one-per-4-to-5 rule is 2 boxes. Penn State is 2 nests for the first 4 hens plus 1 more for the next 4, which is 3 nests.
Does a heavier hen change the 3 lb feed figure?
Minnesota publishes roughly 3 pounds a week for a 6-pound hen, and lists Rhode Island Red and Wyandotte hens at about 6.5 lb and Orpingtons at about 8 lb. It does not publish a different weekly amount for those weights, so 8 hens are still 24 lb a week on the 6-pound rate.
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.