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Mobile chicken coops open up the world of chicken keeping to a much broader audience. They can serve nearly every type of person extremely well, and they can even improve traditional methods on larger farms.
However, that massive level of flexibility also means that it can be a little confusing when it comes to choosing a coop to meet your needs.
Today, we’re going to go over everything you need to know to choose the right size mobile chicken coop regardless of your needs and land situation.
The vast majority of mobile chicken coops can technically fit in a standard backyard. It might be cramped, but even the biggest options can typically fit. So, why is sizing so important?
This is for a few reasons.
While you can technically fit even the biggest coop in a backyard, it’s not a sit-it-and-forget-it type of system. You will regularly need to move the coop around your property regardless of size.
This movement allows the chickens to get new, clean, fresh ground to eat on, and stomp in, and it gives you the ability to tend the ground a lot easier.
If you don’t move the coop around, the chickens will more or less destroy the spot you keep them on, and it’s not good for them, either.
The coop should be big enough to meet the other factors we’ll talk about, but small enough to move around to multiple spots in your available space.
Chickens don’t need a lot of room, but they do have limits on how tightly you can pack a coop before you’re simply neglecting their needs. With that being said, a small backyard chicken keeper doesn’t need nearly as much space for a flock of 12 chickens as a commercial egg producer with more than a hundred chickens per coop.
This is an important consideration, and you have to understand how many chickens you’re going to have in the coop, if you’re looking to grow that number in the future, and other possibilities to avoid having to scale up in the future.
This is not a primary consideration in terms of having a coop that can sufficiently meet the other two requirements, but it’s important. A larger coop costs more than a smaller option, and you have to consider your coop budget to make sure you can afford the size of flock you want to take care of.
Depending on where you get your mobile coop, the style of coop you get, and other factors, you can get smaller ones for a few hundred, or larger ones can cost a few thousand dollars.
Much of the cost variation comes down to sizing.
Finally, you have to consider the type of chickens being kept when deciding on the size of coop you need.
Broiler chickens are smaller and require less room because they’re not making nests and laying eggs. These are meat chickens bred purely to eat or sell as food.
On the other hand, you can’t fit nearly as many egg laying hens into one space, because they need much more room to have their own nests, lay their eggs, etc.
If you’re breeding broiler chickens, you can have a ton of them in a relatively small space. If you want egg layers, you’ll have to settle for fewer chickens or increase the size of the coop to accommodate them.
Backyard keepers have a few benefits. They usually have smaller flocks. So, they can get away with less expensive, smaller, mobile chicken coops and still meet their needs perfectly.
Our top recommendation for the backyard keeper is a 6x8 unit. These are the interior dimensions, and you should consider a couple extra feet due to the moving handles, wheels, and any accessories that you attach to the outside of the coop.
A 6x8 coop can hold 10 egg laying hens or 30 broilers. That is more than enough to meet the needs of most backyard keepers, and the coop can easily maneuver around the standard residential backyard.
If you have a slightly larger space and want a bigger flock, a 10x12 can fit 80 broiler chickens or 20 egg layers. That is far more than the average backyard keeper needs, though.
If you’re a farmer, whether you have a small family farm or a commercial farm, property size probably isn’t a major issue. However, you do need to consider the size of your flock.
If you’re primarily raising chickens as your livestock, you’ll want at least one 12x12 mobile chicken coop. They can hold 100 broilers or 30 egg layers, and if you plan to produce much more than that, you might even want to invest in several on a much larger plot of land.
Once you go too much beyond a 12x12, the benefits of a mobile coop start to dwindle a little bit.
If you’re operating a small family farm that produces surplus eggs and broiler chickens for sale locally, a 12x12 is usually your best bet when choosing the best mobile chicken coop for farming operations. However, if it's just for your family and chickens aren’t your primary livestock, a 6x8 can be a great choice despite having room for a larger option. You’re unlikely to have enough chickens to fill a larger coop, and the extra space isn’t necessary.
If you plan on raising both broilers and egg layers, you need to use the sizing information we’ve provided throughout this guide to buy a suitable coop for each flock. They have different needs, and even if it means you need two coops, it makes creating a suitable environment a lot easier.
Choosing the right size mobile chicken coop is essential for ensuring the health and happiness of your flock while making chicken keeping manageable and enjoyable for you. By considering factors such as coop mobility, flock size, budget, and the type of chickens you’re raising, you can select a coop that perfectly fits your unique needs and land situation.
At Chicken Ranger, we understand that every chicken keeper is different. That’s why we offer a range of premium mobile chicken coops in three versatile sizes – 6x8, 10x12, and 12x12. Each model is thoughtfully designed for durability, easy mobility, optimal ventilation, and secure protection, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for your chickens.
Whether you’re a backyard enthusiast or a seasoned farmer, our coops provide the flexibility and functionality you need to maintain a healthy and productive flock. Explore our diverse collection today to find the perfect mobile chicken coop that aligns with your space and management style. Invest in a Chicken Range Coop now and provide your chickens with the best living conditions while enjoying the convenience of a well-crafted, reliable coop.
Browse our selection and take the first step toward an efficient and enjoyable chicken keeping experience.