New Member and a Question about coop size to number of chickens

bluegreenmarble

Hatching
Oct 22, 2016
4
0
7
Hi there,
My name is Jen and I am new to the group. Howdy, and thanks for being such a great resource. I have a coop and 7 chickens. My coop is a little over 4 feet by a little over 6 feet with 5 nesting boxes that extend from the coop (not part of the 4'X6' area in the main coop). There is an attached 200 square foot chicken (dog) run with a shade cover. The chickens also get a 3-4 hours of free range time as well on a 1/2 acre (due to jockeying dogs and chickens). Anyway, do you think I could add 3 more chickens to that size of coop or should I just be content with what I have? I have to say, chickens are a blast!

Thanks for your insights,
Jen
 
Greetings from Kansas, Jen, and :welcome! Pleased you joined our community. The recommended square footage for the coop is 4 sq. ft./bird and you're already pushing that. Run size is recommended as 10 sq. ft./bird so you're good to go there. My coop is small for the number of birds I have but I have a big run plus free range them so they are only in the coop for sleeping and laying so I get away with it. You can learn quite a bit about chicken maintenance in the Learning Center here https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!
 
Hi, Jen and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. Personally, I would not add any more birds to the flock. We all do things differently, however. If you do decide to add to the flock, then I'd suggest that you be prepared to reduce numbers if you observe problems / issues.

Best wishes
CT
 
Hello, Jen, and welcome to Backyard Chickens! Personally, I have a 8'x8' coop with 35 chickens in it. They have 300 sq feet of portable run space though, so they always have fresh grass. They only spend nights in the coop, then I let them out at six sharp every morning, so they do not have to be cooped up a moment longer than than they have to be. I would let them out a five, but the run is not covered, and Hawks are a problem in the mornings. I hope you enjoy BYC as much as I have!
 
your coop size accomodates 6 birds, so you're already crowding with 7. What breeds are they? Naturally bantams would need less space and jumbos like Brahmas would need more.
 
Thanks! A friend of mine felt that I could get 10 in there because our run is large and the girls get lots of free range time too. Honestly, My girls sleep in the connection section from coop to run (it's just a box connecting the too). So the coop is generally empty! They are funny! I guess I will have to see next Spring whether it is a possibility or not. Thanks for all the info.
 
I think that if you have roosts and nesting boxes, it is almost like having a half second floor, because there are always those few that are climbing on the roosts or nesting boxes. And as long as they are only closed up in there at nighttime, I do not think it would bother them.
 
Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

Personally... if they are let out early each morning and have plenty of run space... I don't think you will have an issue. People seem to forget that chickens are only sleeping and laying in the coop, and it's run space that matters the most. I have had as many as ten birds in a 4x6 before with no issues. But, as always, go by behavior. If a bird is stressed, it's going to act stressed.
 

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