Square foot per bird in hen house chicken tractor

What is the average room recommended per bird inside a 4x6 hen house? I have 9 birds in it at the moment and there yard is 8x12. I was going on 1.5 sq ft per bird. I didnt know if I need to do a reconstruct to make it bigger? Thanks again!

Inside they need about 4 sq ft per bird, out in a run they need 10 sq ft.

my chickens only use the coop to sleep and lay eggs it is always open their coop in inside an enclosed raftered and roofed run,the coop is 4x 14 and the run is 12 x 37 they free range on my off days and a couple hours in the evening,i have 6 chickens right now but will be adding 15 more soon,will this be big enough for them? I have 3 RSL and I will have 18 BO

Razrbckfan said:

What is the average room recommended per bird inside a 4x6 hen house? I have 9 birds in it at the moment and there yard is 8x12. I was going on 1.5 sq ft per bird. I didnt know if I need to do a reconstruct to make it bigger? Thanks again!

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Depends on your climate.....add your location to your profile and folks can make more viable suggestions.

1.5sqft per bird is factory type space.

Aart, look at the screen name. Probably someone from Arkansas. Of course they could be out-of-state.

Tractors are different than normal coops because you are always moving them. That keeps thing interesting and stirred up. They are not as likely to be bored. Regular rules of thumb don’t apply because your management techniques are different than what that rule of thumb is based on.

It’s not how much space is in the coop by itself. It’s how much total space is available to them when they need it. An 8x12 is big for a tractor. I don’t know if the 4x6 coop is included in that or extra. Usually a tractor includes both the coop and run as a protected area so you should have the total space available.

You will be fine with 9 chickens in there though that may be getting close to the limit if you don’t move it much. I don’t know how often you’ll need to move it with nine. Maybe not a whole lot. Usually they are more crowded and you have to move them pretty often because the poop builds up and starts to stink.

How many could you possibly shoehorn in there? That’s real hard to answer. Part of that will depend on the personalities of your chickens. Each chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. Part of that will depend on how often you move it. I’m not even going to try to give you a number, there are too many unknowns.

aart,

Thank you for your help! that makes total sense.

Ridgerunner,

Not from Arkansas just a razorback fan. The hen house is separate from the run itself. I welded a 4x6 frame then welded it to the outside of the run, hen house is 9in off the ground. I did it that way because if my wife needs to change the food and water she doest have to reach as high and she can do it if I am not around. Its also easier that way because I put a door to where I can just scrap the manure out on the ground and put it in the compost pile. Yes it is a tank and I have to use my truck to move it, its all 1.5" welded pipe and the yard is expanded metal to enclose it. Go big or go home is what I like. I am also new to the hobby farm scene(trying) and I dont have time for a dog or anything for protection if they free ranged. I am trying to move it every morning before I go into work, I dont make it everytime but am starting to move it on a daily basis. Yes I have decided not to try and stuff anymore in there. I will probably build another one this winter as a project for spring. Thank you for all your help and advice! It is greatly appreciated.

Razrbckfan said:

aart,

Thank you for your help! that makes total sense.

Ridgerunner,

Not from Arkansas just a razorback fan. The hen house is separate from the run itself. I welded a 4x6 frame then welded it to the outside of the run, hen house is 9in off the ground. I did it that way because if my wife needs to change the food and water she doest have to reach as high and she can do it if I am not around. Its also easier that way because I put a door to where I can just scrap the manure out on the ground and put it in the compost pile. Yes it is a tank and I have to use my truck to move it, its all 1.5" welded pipe and the yard is expanded metal to enclose it. Go big or go home is what I like. I am also new to the hobby farm scene(trying) and I dont have time for a dog or anything for protection if they free ranged. I am trying to move it every morning before I go into work, I dont make it everytime but am starting to move it on a daily basis. Yes I have decided not to try and stuff anymore in there. I will probably build another one this winter as a project for spring. Thank you for all your help and advice! It is greatly appreciated.

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1.5" welded pipe? Yeah, I would think you would want the truck to move that. lets see some pictures of this monster. I hope you used welded wire as well for it.

I will get them up. The pipe is not super heavy, its just drop pipe that was laying around. The hen house is on the back side that almost kinda creates a counter balance. If I had the proper wheels on it I could move it by hand on mostly flat ground but since I dont, gotta use the truck.

Always nice to see a Razorback fan! (I am from and live in Arkansas...and a diehard hog fan). I too would like to see pics of this behemoth.
I just got 6 chicks, and they will reside in a 4'x8' coop with a 10x8 run (with possible expansion).

aart said:

Depends on your climate.....add your location to your profile and folks can make more viable suggestions.

1.5sqft per bird is factory type space.

Click to expand...

United Egg Producers Animal Husbandry Guidelines 2010 states 67-86 sq inches of useable space per hen. Yuck.