Coop Capacity Checker
Standing in the store aisle (or the Amazon tab) with a coop that claims "up to 10 chickens"? Measure or look up the interior floor, put the numbers in, and get the honest count by the same standard our capacity dataset holds every box to. Not sure what your flock needs instead? Use the Coop Size Calculator.
The honest count
| Interior floor area | |
|---|---|
| Honest capacity | |
| Vs the box claim | |
| Roost bar length | |
| Nest boxes | |
| Run space needed |
The math behind the numbers
- Capacity = floor area ÷ required space per bird — 4 sq ft for standard breeds with run access, 3 for bantams, 5 for large breeds. With no outdoor access, 8 sq ft per bird indoors.
- The standard is the strict top of the published extension range (3–4 sq ft indoor per laying hen) — sellers rate boxes at the bottom of the range, so we rate at the top.
- "Roosting capacity" on a box means birds can perch, not live: translate it to roughly half the count for living space.
- Coops with full-width elevated roost bars (Eglu-style) earn back some floor need in bar length — we publish both numbers in the capacity dataset.
Sources: eXtension — space allowances (3–4 sq ft indoor, 10 sq ft outdoor), plus our own re-rating method and per-row sources in the capacity dataset.