Poultry space requirements per bird
Penn State and University of Maryland Extension list minimum space of 1.5 sq ft inside and 8 sq ft of run per laying hen, 2 and 10 for large chickens and 1 and 4 for bantams. The national Poultry Extension guide recommends more: 3 to 4 sq ft indoors and 10 sq ft outdoors per hen.
Last updated: October 10, 2026.
Built by Jeremy Panasuk.
Penn State Extension and University of Maryland Extension publish the same minimums (both trace to Clauer), so they appear as separate rows and each source stands on its own. The national Poultry Extension guide recommends more space. Both are shown side by side; this page does not pick one number.
The data (42 rows)
Figures as published by Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing, Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1), Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks, University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements, University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009). Sources accessed October 10, 2026. Each row links to the page or document the number was read from.
| Bird | Measure | Value | Unit | Source |
|---|
| Bantam chickens | Minimum floor space inside | 1 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Bantam chickens | Minimum outside run | 4 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Bantam chickens | Minimum floor space inside | 1 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Bantam chickens | Minimum outside run | 4 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Laying hens | Minimum floor space inside | 1.5 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Laying hens | Minimum outside run | 8 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Laying hens | Minimum floor space inside | 1.5 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Laying hens | Minimum outside run | 8 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Large chickens | Minimum floor space inside | 2 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Large chickens | Minimum outside run | 10 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Large chickens | Minimum floor space inside | 2 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Large chickens | Minimum outside run | 10 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Quail | Minimum floor space inside | 1 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Quail | Minimum outside run | 4 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Quail | Minimum floor space inside | 1 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Quail | Minimum outside run | 4 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Pheasant | Minimum floor space inside | 5 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Pheasant | Minimum outside run | 25 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Pheasant | Minimum floor space inside | 5 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Pheasant | Minimum outside run | 25 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Ducks | Minimum floor space inside | 3 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Ducks | Minimum outside run | 15 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Ducks | Minimum floor space inside | 3 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Ducks | Minimum outside run | 15 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Geese | Minimum floor space inside | 6 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Geese | Minimum outside run | 18 | sq ft per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1) |
| Geese | Minimum floor space inside | 6 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Geese | Minimum outside run | 18 | sq ft per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009) |
| Laying hens | Minimum indoor space | 3-4 | sq ft per bird | Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks |
| Laying hens | Outdoor space | 10 | sq ft per bird | Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks |
| Meat chickens | Minimum indoor space | 3-4 | sq ft per bird | Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks |
| Turkeys | Minimum indoor space | 6 | sq ft per bird | Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks |
| Turkeys | Outdoor space | 20 | sq ft per bird | Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks |
| Adult ducks | Indoor space | 5 | sq ft per bird | Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard flocks |
| Standard chickens | Roost space | 6 | inches per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing |
| Bantams | Roost space | 4 | inches per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing |
| Chickens | Feeder space (minimum) | 3 | inches per bird | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing |
| Chickens | Nest box size (minimum) | 12 x 12 | inches | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing |
| Chickens | Water nipples | 1 per 6-8 | birds | Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing |
| Laying hens / meat birds | Feeder space | 2-3 | inches per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements |
| Chickens | Roost space | 6-7 | inches per bird | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements |
| Chickens | Nest boxes | 1 (10 x 10 in) per 4-5 | hens | University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements |
Download
Download the CSV (42 rows, updated 2026-10-10). Same rows as the table, plus each row's source URL and access date.
Cite this data
Suggested citation:
Panasuk, J. (2026). Poultry space requirements per bird. chickencoopcalc.com. https://chickencoopcalc.com/poultry-space-requirements-data.html (accessed YYYY-MM-DD). Underlying figures: Penn State Extension; University of Maryland Extension; Poultry Extension (extension.org).
BibTeX:
@misc{panasuk2026chickencoopcalc,
author = {Panasuk, Jeremy}, title = {Poultry space requirements per bird}, year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://chickencoopcalc.com/poultry-space-requirements-data.html}}, note = {Data from Penn State Extension; University of Maryland Extension; Poultry Extension (extension.org); accessed YYYY-MM-DD} }
Please cite the original source too. Questions or corrections: jpanasuk@gmail.com.
Sources
- Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing: https://extension.psu.edu/small-scale-poultry-housing/. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Penn State Extension, Small-Scale Poultry Housing (Table 1): https://extension.psu.edu/small-scale-poultry-housing/. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Poultry Extension (extension.org), Space allowances for small and backyard 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 October 10, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements: https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/housing-requirements. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension, Housing Requirements (Clauer, 2009): https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/housing-requirements. Accessed October 10, 2026.
License
All rights reserved. Citation and non-commercial reuse are fine with a link back to this page. The underlying figures belong to the original publishers; this page only compiles them.
Use it with the calculator
Run your own numbers on the homepage calculator. How this site handles sources is on the methodology page. Related guides: how big should a chicken coop be for 6 hens, how big should a chicken run be, how much roost space per chicken, how much space do ducks need, how much space do turkeys need.
Any flock size: duck coop size calculator.
Smaller flock? See a duck house for 4 ducks.
Compiled with AI assistance from the sources linked above. Spot an error? Email jpanasuk@gmail.com.