How much space do you need for 12 chickens?

[Firsttimehens1234]

They have 5 hens and a rooster right now but I have a little dream of having 11 hens and a rooster so I can have a rainbow basket. Right now I have big chickens and a little polish chicken.
But I was wondering how much space do 12 chickens need? Outside and inside so that that can live the best life possible.

Another question is chickens live in the same coop even though they have a age difference? Bc I was thinking that when I get my next set of chicken I would wanna get some that are younger that my current flock but is that a good idea?
I also really want to have some silkies but is that possible with a English araucana rooster?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m located in Denmark. Where it rains a lot and it can get pretty cold here. I think the coldest it has been this year is around - 5 degrees and the hottest it has been is around 95 degrees.

I lived in Denmark for two years in the 1980's in the Copenhagen area (Herlev) but travelled to all parts of your country. Those cold temperatures sound about right. For chickens that have feathered out those temperatures are not cold, no worries there. Your problem will be more with the snow. Chickens don't like change and generally do not like waking up to a white world. Usually within a few days they get used to it and many will go out and walk in it but they could be kept in the coop section only for a few days where they can get crowded. They don't like a cold wind either. Mine just won't go out in a brisk wind. Snow and wind is more likely to cause a problem by keeping them in the coop section in winter than the cold.

I don't recall it ever getting anywhere near that warm. I remember fabulous summers. That had to be miserable for you since your housing is not set up for those temperatures. But provided they have shade, water, and decent ventilation on the coop your chickens should be able to survive that heat. It's getting close but you should not have any worries there.

I was wondering how much space do 12 chickens need? Outside and inside so that that can live the best life possible.

You can follow the link in my signature to get some of my thoughts on why chickens need room. To me each situation is unique with different flock make-ups, climate, management techniques, goals, and so many other things that I don't believe in a square feet per chicken number. I strongly believe the more room you can reasonably give them the better but many chickens are very content when they are a what we consider a bit crowded while others need more room. I find the more I crowd them the more behavioral problems I have to deal with, the harder I have to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues that come up. This is about you more than it is about the chickens but they benefit too if you are not stressed out.

Another question is chickens live in the same coop even though they have a age difference? Bc I was thinking that when I get my next set of chicken I would wanna get some that are younger that my current flock but is that a good idea?

How old would the chickens be that you are thinking of getting? The age difference can be important until the young ones are old enough to make their way into the pecking order, which with my pullets is usually about the time they start laying. Until that point the age difference has a lot to do with how you integrate them and manage them. But after they reach that age, an age difference is not very important as far as how you manage them. We can go into details when we know how old those new chickens will be. But as to the general question many of us have flocks with chickens of varying ages.

I also really want to have some silkies but is that possible with a English araucana rooster?

Is your concern size or the feathers and top knot? It sounds like you have a bantam Polish. How is that working out with your rooster and flock? Are the Silkies you are planning to get bantams, not all are? If size is your concern, when chickens mate the hen squats. That gets her body on the ground so the rooster's weight goes into the ground through her body, not just her legs. That enables the hen to support a larger male. His feet spread out to get his weight into her body more gradually than at a sharp point, but the more weight difference the more risk there is from that. Many people keep large fowl roosters with bantam hens without issues but that is not totally without risk. The English Araucana rooster should weight about 3 kg (6.5 pounds) which isn't that large. With living animals I can't give you any guarantees but I would not be overly concerned.
If the concern is due to appearance, either the different feathers or the crest, sometimes the chickens will pick on a different looking chicken. They don't always but some people have mentioned that. Silkies and Polish are often mentioned. It's usually the hens that cause a problem when you have it but since they are living animals I can't guarantee anything about your rooster. Many people integrate without these problems but some people mention them.

Integration takes more room than after they are fully integrated, regardless of age. Juveniles tend to take more room until they mature. Many people on here can help you out with integrating, we do it all of the time. Usually very successfully but it is not without risk. There are techniques that greatly reduce your risk.

I don't anticipate you having unsurmountable issues in the summer, either with integration or them just living together. Do your integration is summer. In winter you may be OK but wind or snow could cause issues.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My thought was to get chickens that are almost ready to lay eggs. Since I hatched out my own last time I don’t really have the need for that and thinking it would be easier to get some that are almost ready.

We call those POL (Point Of Lay) pullets. There are advantages. By that age you know they are girls, not boys. You don't have to set up a brooder. They should cost more than baby chicks but someone had bought food and raised them. It is a common choice.

You will still have some age-related integration issues but they should not last long, not like with baby chicks. I don't know what integration techniques you planned, but housing them across wire for a while so they get used to each other and providing separated feeding and watering stations should go a long way.

We call the enclosed building the "coop" and the fenced in area the "run". The run is quite nice but the coop is a bit small for integration. But that only counts when they are locked in there. You may have some issues getting the young ones to go in there as it is getting dark and you probably will want to be down there early until you are sure it won't be a problem when they wake up. When it is dark the older can't see well enough to hurt the younger. Yes, I know how late it gets dark and how early it gets light in summer, you may have a short night's sleep for a bit but with mine that usually is only a day or two. Or you can get an automatic door to open at sunrise. It should all be doable.

My concern on getting silkies is that the rooster will break the neck because once i was talking to a lady and I mentioned that I would like some silkies one day and she said that I can’t bc my rooster will break their neck.

Part of the mating act is the male grabbing the back of the head. That is her signal to raise her tail up out of the way so he can hit the target. It is instinctive, both him to grab the head and her to raise her tail. There would be no fertile eggs without the head grab.

We all have our own experiences and I don't know what she saw. I know of nothing about Silkies that makes them any more susceptible to a broken neck than any other chicken like your Polish. I can only speculate that if that actually happened it was probably not a mature rooster but an immature cockerel really hopped up on hormones and a large boy with a tiny Silkie. Probably a freak accident. If I wanted the walking toilet brushes that people call Silkies (I don't) I would not let that stop me from getting them. I would suggest getting larger ones if that is an option, just to reduce your worry level. Yours is not a hormone driven out of control cockerel but should be a mature gentleman. There can be a lot of difference.

 

[aart]

Another question is chickens live in the same coop even though they have a age difference?

Integrating/adding new birds, no matter their age, works best with more space.
How much space do you have now?
Dimensions and pics of coop and run would help here.

Also....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[NatJ]

Another question is chickens live in the same coop even though they have a age difference? Bc I was thinking that when I get my next set of chicken I would wanna get some that are younger that my current flock but is that a good idea?

Yes, chickens of different ages can live in the same coop.

Once they are old enough for the pullets to lay eggs, they tend not to care about age differences. But before that, the younger ones tend to stay away from the big ones, and the big ones peck the young ones if they come too close. So they need enough space to stay away. It's usually easier to raise chicks in the spring & summer, when they can also use the outdoor space. Then they can all be adults by the time they have to stay inside together during bad winter weather.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
This is an article by someone who has a brooder in the coop, raises the chicks there, and integrates the groups at a young age by making chick-sized openings in the brooder (so the chicks can run to safety if needed). Of course that is not the only way to integrate chicks into an adult flock, but it is one method that might be worth considering.

 

[Iluveggers]

7.6 & 5.2 dimensions gives you about 10 standard sized birds if you go by BYC recommendations. Your outdoor space is about double the minimum for 12. Integration often requires additional room. With a few smaller breeds and no heavy breeds, your wishes are definitely do-able!

 

[aart]

I'd not add any more birds to that set up.
7'-6" x 5'-3" is perfect for the 6 you have in your climate.

I do not see any ventilation in your coop, could be a problem at 95°F.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Integrating/adding new birds, no matter their age, works best with more space.
How much space do you have now?
Dimensions and pics of coop and run would help here.

Also....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3362770

The outside coop is around 26 feet long and 11 feet wide and the inside coop is around 7,6 feet long and 5,2 feet wide. I know the coop needs a cleaning and I will do that as soon as the shops open and I can get some new hay to put on the floors don’t worrythere are also 4 nesting boxes that you can see

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

I'd not add any more birds to that set up.
7'-6" x 5'-3" is perfect for the 6 you have in your climate.

I do not see any ventilation in your coop, could be a problem at 95°F.

Oh sorry there are ventilation in the coop but it’s on the other side of the coop where you can’t see it in the picture it has also only been 95 degrees once this year and that was also the hottest it has ever been in Denmark since 1939 I think so it’s not normal for it to be this hot

 

[Iluveggers]

From what I know of Silkies they are very docile. I would worry about bullying during integration. You could always get a second small coop, and attach it to your current run but section off a part just for them. Get 3-4 Silkies, and give them that space. Because they tend to be small and have a hard time seeing, they can be easy targets.