Be honest....

[Lifewithchicks]

Just skip to the last page. Introduce yourself and ask if anyone can recommend a breeder nearby or wants to split a chick order or whatever you need. My state thread is thousands of pages. I just skip to the end and read posts from time to time. There is also a buy/sell/trade section on BYC as well as breeder lists. Also your state may have a poultry Facebook group you could join. Usually that will be quite active if it exists.

Thank you so much for all your help!!!!

 

[Lifewithchicks]

You could start a thread over there. Something like, "Looking for Texans in the ..... area!" You don't have to state your own town if you don't want to, but something close.

Thanks for helping out this newbie! I really appreciate it!

 

[BantyChooks]

Oh my... Apparently, I do not follow the rules. Sounds like I need a bigger coop! I have 4 chickens and they have a little more than 2 sq ft each... They are only in there for a short time before they are let out into the yard...mostly just to sleep. Is that bad?

You're in CA; they're probably fine.

 

[bobbi-j]

This is one of those, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" situations. Can you keep them in minimal space? Sure. Will it work? Maybe. Crowded chickens tend to develop very bad habits like feather picking, bullying, and sometimes cannibalism. Do you want to take those chances? As Mrs. K says, you can "cheat" on space in the warm months, but if you live where they are likely to be spending months in the coop during the winter, you want to give them space. You will have to keep an eye on them if you plan crowding them into a coop like that.

 

[andreanar]

I have a 10'x10' coop, and an attached, covered with roof and sides, run that is 10'x 20'. I have 10 hens, 2 of them being bantams. I would put more birds in my flock. The only time my girls are locked in is at dark. And they always have the choice to free range if they want. During the snowy times, they keep to their coop and run. The run has hanging flock blocks, roosts, and other things to keep them busy.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Oh my... Apparently, I do not follow the rules. Sounds like I need a bigger coop! I have 4 chickens and they have a little more than 2 sq ft each... They are only in there for a short time before they are let out into the yard...mostly just to sleep. Is that bad?

Each flock and set up will be different.

It only bad if it isn't working for YOU. If you are seeing lots of feather loss, bullying, or disease... yep that's bad. If every one seems well and get along pretty good with no ammonia smell build up... then what's the issue? What works for some may not work for others. The suggested guidelines are in part to help us as keepers to appropriately maintain things a bit easier.

Please note... for many of us, a "bigger" coop just means more room for chicken math!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have two roosters and three hens. I might could get by with one more hen, but no more than that, and I am even inclined to not do so until I get red of Colonel Grey.

Oh boy... I bet your hens could do with a LOT less roosters and a little more space. And that jerk hole who refused to share his roost with my or his ladies... well he could take a long hot bath with some aromatic veggies to right his attitude... if he were in my coop.

Anyways , not my dynamics to deal with.

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Ah, the inevitable chicken math. Yes, I succumbed this year. My current coop is 4x8 with 8 birds. Maxed out. The run however is 20x24, so still some room there although I cannot imagine having it hold 48 birds happily.
Since my chicken math has outdone my little coop, I'm currently constructing a 16x24 coop with about 768 sq ft of paddock. That's good for the total of 50 birds I want. As soon as this weather breaks, I've got to get on it, as I have 6 pullet chicks in the brooder about ready to go to the current coop, 6 more coming the first of April. They'll be brooded in the back porch. And there is the May order of 15 birds.
So, I'm gonna have to rearrange the 4x8, put up a tarp on part of the run to house bedding, feed cans and water/feeders. But, it will work until May when I will have at least the roof and wiring on the new coop.
Just watch behavior, if they begin to show antisocial behavior, you are going to have to make some sort of new arrangements or you will have sick and beaten up birds.

 

[MaMaher]

Each flock and set up will be different.

It only bad if it isn't working for YOU. If you are seeing lots of feather loss, bullying, or disease... yep that's bad. If every one seems well and get along pretty good with no ammonia smell build up... then what's the issue? What works for some may not work for others. The suggested guidelines are in part to help us as keepers to appropriately maintain things a bit easier.

Please note... for many of us, a "bigger" coop just means more room for chicken math!

Thank you for the feedback! The girls get along very well and no destructive habits have been developed. I change out the coop material every week, so there aren't harsh smells. I hope to build them a bigger/better coop one day, but for now this works!

 

[Foster's Freehold]

That's my second mantra, "It works". Of course my first one is "No more chickens", but that seldom works. And my hubs just asked if I wanted to go to the Henhouse this weekend I told him, not until the new coop is finished. Of course, I didn't tell him of the 21 ordered lol.