Square feet per bird, nest boxes, and roost length for standard, bantam, or heavy-breed flocks.
Coop floor area
Night shelter — free-ranging does not reduce this.
48 sq ft
Run area
Fully enclosed run
120 sq ft
Nest boxes
1 box per 4 hens
3 boxes
Roost bar length
1 linear ft per bird
12 ft
Waterers
1 per 10 birds
2
Feeders
1 per 8 birds
2
Crowded birds peck, stress, and stop laying. These are minimums from most county extension guides — build bigger if you can. Heavy breeds (Orpingtons, Brahmas) need the full 5 sq ft indoors; bantams only need half.
Free-ranging doesn't let you shrink the coop — predators and bad weather send everyone back inside. But the run can be a little smaller if birds are usually out.
coop_sqft = flock × per_bird_coop
run_sqft = flock × per_bird_run × (free_range ? 1.25 : 1)
nest_boxes = ceil(flock ÷ 4)
Egg Production Forecast
Project weekly, monthly, and annual egg output from flock size, breed lay rate, and seasonal drop-off.
Chicken Feed Conversion
Broiler finish math and layer feed-per-dozen — with break-even egg pricing.
Animal Water Needs
Daily, weekly, and monthly water by species, climate, and lactation state.