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General guidelines for space for your coop:
• Provide at least 2 to 3 square feet indoors and 5 to 10 square feet outdoors per bird to support health and reduce behavioral issues.
• Allow 1 foot of roost space per bird. A 2-by-4 board( wide side up) creates a comfortable perch. Roosts are essential for laying hens and pullets but not required for meat birds.
• Install one 1-foot nesting box per four to five hens, placed in a dark, elevated corner. Exterior access allows for easy egg collection without disturbing hens.
Human access is equally important. The coop at Rusty Moose Farm is built tall enough for an adult to stand comfortably inside. Easy entry simplifies cleaning, health checks, maintenance and care, especially with larger flocks.
Ventilation is non-negotiable. Coops should never be sealed airtight. Windows on multiple sides and ventilation openings near the roofline promote yearround airflow without drafts. Ammonia buildup from droppings can cause respiratory distress and long-term damage.
4. Predator-proofing the coop
On wooded acreage, predator-proofing is a daily reality. Tami strongly advises against relying on chicken wire alone.“ Chicken wire keeps chickens in,” she says.“ It doesn’ t keep predators out.”
Instead, she recommends galvanized welded wire or hardware cloth with openings no larger than one-quarter inch by one-quarter inch. Windows and vents should be reinforced, even if they already have traditional mesh screening.
To prevent burrowing predators, she suggests burying galvanized wire 6 inches underground along the perimeter of the coop and run, then bending it outward 12 inches to create an underground barrier.“ If
AcreageLife. com something tries to dig,” she explains,“ they hit the wire and stop.”
5. Designing an effective feed program Tami recommends placing feeders and waterers in the run rather than inside the coop. This keeps sleeping areas dry and reduces rodent attraction. Feed storage should be secure and moisture-proof.
Throughout the transition from brooder to coop, it is important to meet your birds’ nutritional needs for every stage of life. Tami recommends picking a feed program and sticking with it so you can evaluate flock health over time.
Tami has fed Purina ® branded feeds to her flock for 17 years.“ They have a feed for every stage of life, and that is incredibly important,” she says.“ I trust their science.”
For brand-new chick owners, a system like Purina ® Farm to Flock ® removes the guesswork. Farm to Flock ® is a new stage-based feeding system with a complete line of transitional chicken feed— from starter to grower to layer— that helps simplify feed decisions so you can focus more on bonding with your flock.
Start building your backyard adventure
From backyard beginnings to a large, established flock, Tami Mullin supports her birds’ entire lifecycles, from feed management to predator-proofing her coop.
“ Your coop should work for you and your birds,” she says.“ If you build it thoughtfully from the beginning, everything else gets easier.”
Scan the QR code to discover more of Tami’ s story and download a free guide with more tips for your chickens.
June 2026 AcreageLife 9