SiLOSSiLOS

Three small builds from one plywood sheet

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1The number that actually matters

Provide at least 3 square feet of floor per bird if they have access to an outdoor run, or 8 to 10 square feet per bird if they're confined to the coop full time — this single number decides whether your one-sheet build is enough coop or a birdcage.

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2Perch space, if you're building roosts in

Budget 8 to 10 inches of perch length per bird; chickens are motivated to perch even in fast-growing meat breeds, so a flat elevated platform is a reasonable substitute for a round perch if body size makes standard perches impractical.

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3Predators dig, so the floor plan has to too

Bury fencing 6 inches to a foot into the ground along any outdoor run, since predators (coyotes, foxes, rodents, dogs) dig at the base of a fence rather than climb it — a beautiful coop with a fence that stops at ground level is still an open door at night.

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4The one-sheet logic beyond chickens

A standard sheet is 4 by 8 feet either way you're starting from: a potting bench needs a worktop and two shelves out of that footprint, a small bike shed needs walls and a lean-to roof panel. The extension-sourced numbers above are specific to poultry; the cutting logic (plan the whole sheet before the first cut, waste nothing) carries over to any small build the same size.

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