What to do?

I have a pretty good grasp on the basics with chicken the 10 I have are very happy. But recently I have a friend that wants to get rid of his old 6x6 coop and I have a few questions. How many hens can I put in my 10x10 coop with a 10x15 run? And also the separate 6x6 coop with a 10x15 run? The new coop I'm wanting to raise just silkies in it. What all should I know to raise silkies?

colby bush said:

I have a pretty good grasp on the basics with chicken the 10 I have are very happy. But recently I have a friend that wants to get rid of his old 6x6 coop and I have a few questions. How many hens can I put in my 10x10 coop with a 10x15 run? And also the separate 6x6 coop with a 10x15 run? The new coop I'm wanting to raise just silkies in it. What all should I know to raise silkies?

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. How many hens can I put in my 10x10 coop with a 10x15 run?
For adult large fowl, 4 sq. ft. per bird inside. and 10 sq. ft. per bird outside.
For bantams, 1/2 all those figures.
Best,
Karen

I find the more space given to birds the more available space they have. That's not being snarky rather inability to phrase meaning. The space required per bird for easy integration of new bird and no behavioral problems in a 6x6 coop will be larger than the space per bird required in a 10x10 coop. Birds really do flock together so when in a group that is taking up relatively small space is looking around at the space left there is much more space left for the flock in a 10x10. They don't feel cramped even if given much less space per bird as in a 6x6.

Birds love space, with space you've the room to add all sorts of things to keep them occupied, give them shade, sun, dust bath areas and multiple roosts. Where you give them space is up to you, I prefer to give it in the run as I let them out every day and they prefer to be outside. My birds have 1600sqft of run. Far more than needed but as it's movable can get it around a few trees and flower bed for fall weeding or what have you. With that much space the coop is insignificant and only used to roost at night or pass through to lay eggs in external mounted box. There is no magical number for space in a coop per bird though 2.5sqft is in my opinion a minimum for large fowl. 10 sqft for run is in my mind a bare minimum too. To me 15 sqft per bird in total space is a good number and most of that outside makes for happier birds.

For silkies I would roof at least 1/2 the run. Silkies and mud don't do well together.

Okay thank you. I'm getting the silkies as baby chicks and have heard they are difficult.