Bantams and square feet

[Seaecho]

Hi! I am planning on getting four bantams. I already have a raised (two feet off the ground) rabbit hutch that is 2 feet deep and 6 feet long. Hubby and I are planning on adding a ladder for the chickens to descend into the run, which is really two cages put together. One is 4 ft. long and the other is 7 foot long. Their run would be 11 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. So 44 ft. ft. We can't do free range, as we have a dog that would certainly go after them. We are planning on installing a couple of tree stumps, a couple of perches and toys. Will this be enough space? Thanks!

 

[chickens really]

Post a picture of the set up ...
What breed of bantams?....

 

[Seaecho]

We have the one cage already, and ordered the bigger one, and it arrived today. We need to set everything up, and drive stakes through the cage that has no bottom, and also add a chicken wire apron so it'll be bombproof. Attaching the cage to the rabbit hutch is going to take some work too, to make it dog proof. Probably won't be done for at least a week, as we have other things going on right now. But basically it'll be the rabbit hutch with a cage attached that is four foot long and four foot wide with another cage attached to THAT one, creating an 11x4' cage, plus the hutch.

I'm thinking a silky, a frizzle (if I can get one) a cochin bantam and a bantam Rock.

 

[Pork Pie]

Whilst there are "recommended" minimum space requirements, they are too general imo and do not take into account key variables. This link takes a much more pragmatic look at the subject:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[ChickNanny13]

Just remember, BIGGER the BETTER due to Chicken Math.

 

[Seaecho]

Thank you for the link! We will be starting out with the 11x4, plus the rabbit hutch, but will be adding on, and plan to make their space very interesting, with different long cages going in different directions, zig-zagging, etc. Hubby showed me an an from Tractor Supply that featured a 6ft by 8ft run (or something close to that) with coop included for $800! I hope he wasn't serious. I mean, $800 for a chicken coop and run? Can't exactly afford that, but I do want to give them as much space as I can while keeping the cost down. And here I was, worried that he wouldn't want chickens!