About 8 x 7 feet = 56 feet / 4 = 14 birds if that is the coop, the inside the building part.
I am afraid you are measuring the whole set up, the inside part where the birds would sleep at night, (coop) and the daytime run. I am afraid that the coop part is probably about 36 inches x 48 inches, and the rest is the run. If so, this set up would hold about 4 full size chickens. Often times the run is open under neath the coop, so the runs space would be adequate for 4-5 birds. Add a little free ranging and this would be a happy flock.
You can cheat on the run, if you free range, but you really cannot cheat on the coop space. At night they will all try and get into the coop, and try and roost.
You can only cheat on the run if you free range from sun up to sun down. And that will lead you open to predators.
It is so unjust of these manufactures to misrepresent the number of birds like they do. You are not the first to follow their recommendations, and find it does not work.
I think you need to reduce the numbers until you can get a bigger set up.
Mrs K
I am afraid you are measuring the whole set up, the inside part where the birds would sleep at night, (coop) and the daytime run. I am afraid that the coop part is probably about 36 inches x 48 inches, and the rest is the run. If so, this set up would hold about 4 full size chickens. Often times the run is open under neath the coop, so the runs space would be adequate for 4-5 birds. Add a little free ranging and this would be a happy flock.
You can cheat on the run, if you free range, but you really cannot cheat on the coop space. At night they will all try and get into the coop, and try and roost.
You can only cheat on the run if you free range from sun up to sun down. And that will lead you open to predators.
It is so unjust of these manufactures to misrepresent the number of birds like they do. You are not the first to follow their recommendations, and find it does not work.
I think you need to reduce the numbers until you can get a bigger set up.
Mrs K
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