Any advice for bantam space requirements?

[saxifrage]

I'm realizing the two leggorns I inherited as chicks are bantams, and I'd love to add one or two more to the family, but am unsure how many can fit comfortably in their quarters. I have a 4'x6'x5' run and a 3'x4' coop attached to it with a 15''x15'' nest box attached to that. We let them roam the yard 1-3 hours a day, but since we're in the city, we can't let them out all day. Any advice? There's a lot to be found about space requirements for standard breeds, but not much about bantams. My gut says one or two more tops, but being new to this, I'm not sure. We love the two we have and really want them to be comfortable and happy chickies.

 

[elmo]

I use the same space rules for my bantams as for standards: a minimum of 4 square feet per bird in the coop, plus 10 square feet per bird in the run.

It can be hard to add a single bird to a flock, though. The new bird can be singled out for bullying and she has no buddy to hang with. So if you are going to add any birds, I would recommend getting two.

 

[saxifrage]

Thanks for the advice. Why the same amount of space if the size of the bird is so different? Just curious...

 

[elmo]

My bantams are active and lively. They really use the space. It helps avoid aggression and pecking order problems.

I just finished building a new run that's 8' by 16' for nine bantams. Even though that's 14 square feet per chicken, it's not too much room. In fact, it's a little bit crowded, so I won't be leaving them all in there all the time. The new coop is 7 square feet per bird, and that doesn't seem too much, either.

You'll never be sorry to have too much space, but you will be sorry if you have too little. Build as big as you possibly can.

 

[Ironmaiden]

Bigger is always better, for SURE! I think you could safely add two more.