Official BYC Poll - How Many Square Feet Per Chicken?

[lamelde]

​

We've got thousands of members and thousands of very different setups for our chickens, so here is an official poll:

Main Poll: How many square feet do you CURRENTLY have per chicken?​

You can also reply with more detail, specifically:

1. Inside space per chicken
2. Run space per chicken
3. Free-range space per chicken

Looking forward to your replies!!!

I provide 2.5 square feet - but that was not an option

 

[HathawayHens]

about 2.5 sq ft/ bird inside coop
up to about 6 sq ft/ bird if you count the run
and about 1/4 acre plus total for free ranging

 

[OCpeep]

4 chickens

Coop space: 3 (open access to run day and night)
Run space: 16
Free range: 5,250+ (entire backyard that is fenced in)

 

[Martha Jensen]

Currently, the chickens are in the bathroom under a heat light as they are almost 2 weeks old. I have 5 and from what I understand 8x8x6 would comfortably house 12; my 5 should be fine - right?

 

[OkChickens]

Breeding Flock
1. Coop Space 4-7 sq ft per bird.
2. Run Space 8-10 sq ft per bird
3. Free Range Usually doesn't happen with Breeders.

We usually have 4-8 birds in a 4x8 coop for breeders with a 8x8 runs


Free Range Flock
1. Coop Space 3.3 sq ft per bird
2. Run Space. None
3. Free Range 2.5 Acres plus a empty field next to us that they wander off to every now and them

50 RSL in a 12x20 coop with a 6x12 feed room in it. So they have about a 12x14 Coop without a run.


Nate

 

[OkChickens]

Currently, the chickens are in the bathroom under a heat light as they are almost 2 weeks old. I have 5 and from what I understand 8x8x6 would comfortably house 12; my 5 should be fine - right?

Correct. A 8x8 coop has 64 sq ft and a rule of thumb is 3-4 sq ft per bird so 64/4 is 16 and 64/3 is 21.3 so that would house at least 16-21 birds pretty easy if they had an outside run as well.

Nate

 

[CarolJ]

approximately 4 square ft per chicken inside the coop. 15+ square feet per chicken in the outdoor run. They only go in the coop to roost and to lay.

 

[Crabella]

Main coop is 8x12 and currently housing 9 hens and a roo. Run is roughly 10 x 20. Will hopefully be adding six more birds to this group.
secondary coop is in planning stages and will be8x10 with a run that is 10 x 18. There is also a pasture area that is in the process of being fence.
Secondary coop will house 6-10 hens and a roo.

 

[line-rat]

7 hens 2 roosters / coop 32sq. ft. / run 96 sq. ft.

 

[Mikey D]

We have 7 grown and 19 4 - 6 week'ers.

Right now the babies are in a grow out pen and we have a 4 x 17 coop / run.

Not big enough!