chicken/coop space

[zroulx]

Ok somehow people have given me a ton of chicks this year. I will be at a total of 50 here is the dilemma I only have a 12x8 shed lots of roosting space enough for 50 easily. I also have an attached 30x35 run. And randomly let my chickens go completely free. Will I be ok? Please help

 

[Judy]

That works out to about 2 sq ft in the coop and 20 sq ft in the run. The run meets the minimum that is supposed to prevent undue pecking and cannibalism, but the coop doesn't. And of course it will mean a fair amount of cleaning, especially in the coop.

A lot depends on your climate. If you are in snow country and they will stay indoors due to snow, I would expect you will have problems. In my climate, the coop would probably be adequate, particularly if they have shade and breeze available outside the coop.

This article is an excellent discussion of space:

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