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The large commercial poultry operations have large, highly specialized buildings. If your system is anything like mine, though, your brooder house is likely the winter hen house, as well. This "unspecialized" use of buildings requires us to design buildings that are efficient as multipurpose structures. The most cost-effective option for many people is to make use of an already existing building. This picture is of the chicken coop that I had before we moved to where we are now. Some of you may notice the ultra-modern, space age design as that of a 1950s Canadian granary. Although not visible from this side, the roof is a typical gable, or A-frame design. Simple, strong, and suitable. It is suitable for where it is, at least. In areas of low winter precipitation, a flat roof would be simpler to insulate for that frigid season. A note when building any kind of poultry building: Do it with style! I hope you like my semi-artistic rendition of a Leghorn rooster staring down a chicken farmer.
I have read a few different books and other sources that state how much space, exactly, chickens need. They have charts and tables for these things, you know. Bird size, age, management type, and a good number of other factors can contribute to how much space the birds need.
Here is a table describing how much room different types of poultry need for optimum survival under one type of management. Please note that these values come from the conventional poultry scientists. It is common for pastured poultry people to allow more room for their birds.
| Type of Poultry | Age | Minimum Space per bird |
| Chicks | Up to 4 weeks old | 5 ft2 |
| From 4 to 8 weeks old | 1 ft2 | |
| From 8 to 12 weeks old | 1.5 ft2 | |
| After 12 weeks | 2 ft2 | |
| Light Breed Laying Hens | Mature | 1.5-2 ft2 |
| Heavy Breed Laying Hens | Mature | 2-3 ft2 |
| Broilers | Mature | 1 ft2 |
| Turkeys | Mature | 2.5 ft2 |
Anyway, I am not one to measure my housing facilities to the nearest centimeter to ensure that there is just the right amount of space for every bird. I like to live by "The more space, the merrier." I don't think it can hurt to have lots of room for the birds. The only limitation is how much space you are willing to allot to the poultry cause, and how much money you wish to spend on building that space.
Firstly, the coop needs to be insulated to an extent that you can accurately predict/maintain a particular temperature 24 hours a day. Second, the floor/litter must be dependably dry for flock health. This moisture issue can be solved on of two ways: developing a floor system that sheds water, or increased litter consumption. A water-shedding floor might consist of expanded metal or a slat floor above the ground, or original floor. The problem with this is that the holes in the floor cannot be large enough for the chicks to get their feet stuck in the holes or spaces. Usually the addition of more litter (straw, wood shavings, peat, and the like) can solve the moisture problem easily. Thirdly, the building must have access to electricity, or be equipped with some other heating source. The reasoning behind this stipulation is fairly obvious, since we know that the starting brooder temperature for chicks is 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
And, as with all poultry housing, the level of light must be controllable. I wouldn't bother putting windows in your coop, because if the building is bright, and the birds are confined, cannibalism can become a problem among the newer breeds. (An old breed contrarily, might be a bantam or Rhode Island Red, for example. The newer breeds that I am referring to are the modern commercial breeds.) Red light is the standard for preventing cannibalism, so plan on purchasing a bulb of that colour. I have read that to guage the proper level of light, one can attempt to read a newspaper in the bird house. An optimal level would be when someone with average vision could not read the aforementioned newspaper at arms' length from the eyes.
For more specific information pertaining to the type of poultry you will be raising, please choose one of the options below.
