Space Requirements for 50 Broilers and 100 Sexlink chicks?

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OkChickens

OkChickens

Orpingtons Are Us
9 Years
Dec 1, 2010
1,498
26
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Owasso, Oklahoma
I'm ordering 50 broilers from Central Hatchery in a week or so and I am going to make a brooder with 3ft high sides and around 3x10 or 4x10. It will have a 2x4 frame, plywood sides, and a wire bottom with a poop board about 4 inches under the wire that slides out for cleaning. These will be going to freezer camp at about 8 weeks. Is this enough space? Too much?

I also am ordering 100 Red Sexlinks from Central Hatchery at the same time. I'm probably going to separate them in to 2 groups of 50 in Brooders that are about 4x10. Is this a good size for 50 chicks until about 10-12 weeks? I will section part of my coop for them when they are 10 or 12 weeks or so.

This is a total or 2-3 Brooders that are 4x10 with 40 sq ft. They will be sitting 3 feet off the ground on posts in my coop most likely. Any advice helps! Thank you,

-Nate
 
That will be fine for when you first get them, but they will all outgrow that space very quickly. Once they are about 2 months, and even the broilers at a month, they will be way too crowded.
 
Agree with much too small for anything other than taking them to 4 weeks.

Feather pecking is an issue when there is crowding. I brood 16 chicks at a time in a 5 x 8 utility trailer. At 5 weeks, they've out grown it. They are so active, running, trying to fly, etc. I take them to this 8x20 grow out pen. Again, that is for only 16 chicks, and they need all of it.

I hope you have large grow out pens, 10x40, where you can still provide a couple of heat lamps for some warm spots. Great fun coming for you!! enjoy.

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Here is another option is to divide my coop for a 10x25 or so for the 100 sexlinks and a 10x10 or 10x15 area for my 50 broilers. I will be butchering these at 8-12 weeks.

-Nate
 
In my second photo above, you see an 8 x20 pen. I have 20 adult hens in there now. They have cabin fever because of the relentless snow. You are suggesting 100 pullets in an area only 2 feet wider and 5 feet longer Honestly, unless you are in a area that has wonderful, year round weather and your outside run is a quarter acre fenced in, and the pullets only come back into the 10x25 pen at dark, it simply isn't enough room.

You'd be sorely pressed to raise out the 50 meat birds in a 10x25 pen, let alone 100 pullets. You'd sorely risk feather pecking and pullet politics can be brutal.

Honestly, your numbers are over optimistic by a far piece. Your operation would barely be a cut above a cage raised existence. FWIW
 
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Ok I have a 20x30 coop. I will divide off a section 10x20 space for my 50 broiler chicks, I will build in my barn a 10x20 room for my 100 sexlink chicks. I forgot to mention I will sell at least 25-50 of the sexlinks when I receive them. The minimum order from that hatchery is 100 chicks. I will probably grow the remaining 50 chicks up then I will move them to my 20x30 coop with my flock of 40 Hens. I have 2 runs that will be available Everyday

It will be atleast 20x30 or 20x40 and a have a run already made that is 15x30 so combined sq ft of about 2100 ft. I let about 1/2 of them free range a few times a week.

So 100 sexlink chicks will have 200 sq ft then my 50 broilers will have 200 sq ft as well.

Is this a lot better?

-Nate
 
That is still not enough space in my opinion, but I could be wrong. Have been before. I was always told 4 to 6 sq feet per bird as they matured to be more than 2 months old.
 
Here's what you can do. Try your plan, as you've expanded on it.

As you go along, you'll find that you likely have to do some selling, to pare down your flock. That's OK. Many of us do that. Just don't wait until you are in crisis to do so. As long as you are brutally honest with yourself and have adjustable plans and/or make adjustments as needed, you'll be OK.

It is very difficult to "over space" chickens. Many people underestimate their space needs.
 
Ok my 50 meat birds will have a 10x15 space WITH a outdoor run after a week old. That is 150 sq ft inside and a 10x30 run 300 sq ft 6 sq ft out with a total of 9 sq feet of space until they are 8-10 weeks then they get butchered. Recommended space is 2-3 sq ft of inside space. They will have 6 each.

My 100 Sex links will start out with a 10x20 space totaling 200 sq ft with a 15x30 run after about 6-8 weeks they will have access to the run with a 450 sq ft run. Totaling 650 sq ft and 6.5 for 1month old chicks. I will sell about 50 within the first month and then the 50 chickens will occupy the 650 sq ft totaling 13 sq ft per bird until they are laying then they will be moved into my 20x30 coop with mu other 35-40 hens. Totaling 6.5 sq ft of indoor space, the recommended is 4sq ft. How is that not enough room.

Is this a better plan?

-Nate
 
I raised 51 Central Hatchery broilers in a 12' x 8' pen in my barn. That's plenty of room for broilers. Consider a 10' x 12' tractor pen will hold 75 broilers comfortably. Broilers don't need much space because they don't move. Much. I brooded them in a 4'x6' brooder until 3.5 weeks old. No losses, no problem. The red sex links are different they need a lot more room when older. I would suggest going 10' x 10' for the broilers and 20' x 20' for the sex links. Keep in mind your broilers probably don't need an outdoor run, they don't exercise much, just eat. Make sure to have a long feeder like a rain gutter. Round feeders just won't cut it. Many folks feed broilers for 12 hours and remove the feed. Do the calculations ofr the total amount of feed you should feed daily as they grow. I gave 2/3's of the ration in the morning and 1/3 at night. It won't very long.
 

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