Can I coop them 24/7 ??

[tomengers]

Hi Folks ...

I am reading Wood's Open-Air Poultry Houses and would like to build an "open" coop and raise a few chickens, but my property will not accommodate an open, fenced area for them to range. Would I be successful if they were permanently confined to their coop? I would allow the recommended 2 sqft per bird coop size.

thanks ...

... tom

 

[VI KING RANCH]

The recommended sq footage per bird is 4sq feet.

 

[In His Service]

Quote:
..and I think that is assuming you are also going to provide 10 sq ft/bird of run. They might get "cabin fever", and start pecking at each other, etc.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Although I am not familiar with the book, one way to provide some outside space is to build up instead of out. You can put some outside area that is secure under the coop area.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
..and I think that is assuming you are also going to provide 10 sq ft/bird of run. They might get "cabin fever", and start pecking at each other, etc.

Yes, it's 4 square feet indoors PLUS 10 square feet outdoors as a minimum (in my opinion). So a total of 14 square feet per chicken. I wouldn't try housing chickens in only 2 square feet per bird of total space. I'd be amazed if you didn't have to debeak the birds in that stocking density.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
I live in town on a town size lot and have room for a run for the chickens, My question is how many birds are you thinking and what set up are you looking at. I have seen coops that use under the coop for a run and that it can be moved to give them access to grass. I use the 4 sq feet in side with at least 10-15 sq feet outside if they are to close together they will peck the feathers of the others.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It does not matter *that* hugely whether they have outdoor access, so much as it matters what their total space available is. If you deprive them of outdoor area, you'd better be replacing it with extra INDOOR area, to whatever total square footage you choose to allot per hen.

At only 2 sq ft per chicken you'd essentially have a backyard version of a commercial cagefree battery hen setup. They'd better be debeaked *and* of calm lines, and you had better enjoy dealing with gigantic sanitation problems and a lot of social strife (pecking/cannibalism) within the flock. I sure would not do it. OTOH it is better than a lot of battery hen conditions, so, <shrug> I guess it depends what you're after.

I would suggest AT LEAST 10 sq ft apiece as a MINIMAL target, and I'm not talking about "for humane or ethical reasons" I'm talking about for PRACTICAL reasons. (It isn't just me. Notice that any number of respected resources, from extension services to Gail Damerow's Guide to Raising Chickens, list 10 sq ft as a minimum space for chickens reared in confinement, which yours would be)

Personally I would not do it if I could not give them AT LEAST twice that and preferably more like 3-4x the space. Because they really do ACT DIFFERENTLY (more natural and "happier" and individual) at lower stocking densities. But, I realize that is not how most people on this forum feel, inasmuch as it requires you to keep fewer chickens (given a certain size coop) and that is an unpopular idea hereabouts

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[f8thnjc]

If your chickens NEVER leave their coop, you need to make it WAY bigger than 2 sq ft per bird. It would seem easier to me to just make a covered run area.

 

[Bossroo]

If one raises true meat birds such as the Cornish X, 2 sq.ft' is fine for their 6-8 week life span to reach butcher size. May be marginal for most of the so called dual purpose birds as one needs 16-24 weeks to grow to butcher size. For egg producing breeds, one would need about 10+ sq. ft. per hen..

 

[catdaddy66]

My flock has been coop bound (except for the two escapees caught immediately after running for it!) for 11 months. I didn't want that but it has turned out ok. I have 12 large layers and 64 sq. ft for them. The only issue I have is one of my EE's has had her rump feathers picked clean!

I don't exactly know what it is or how it was caused, though I assume she is low on the pecking order and gets henpecked!

Here are two of my dozen, and they are currently watching reality TV for chickens.