Chicken math vs sq ft?

[mischke]

Boy chicken math is quite an amazing phenomenon! I now realize that by the end of July I will have about 40 chickens. My dh and I just finished our first coop 8 x 12. Which is a very good size, I thought. My problem is that real math is not quite as magical. The chickens will end up with a little more than 3 sqft. They have full outdoor access most of the time (95%) and the enclosed run will be 10 x 30. We have 15 eight week old chicks and 10 two week chicks, with 16 more coming next month. So how do I fix this? Cancel my next order(please no), give a few away, some how get more space(build another coop), increase run area, or do nothing they will be ok. I am really beating myself up over this I really want them to be happy and healthy. Any input is greatly appreciated, even to tell me what a bad chickie momma I am. Thank you!

 

[Mrs. K]

If it will help, we have all been down this path..... I myself am looking at a lot of butchering in the fall to get things so that they fit for winter. I have a broody hen sitting on eggs as we speak, and 25 chicks coming that I am hoping to convince the broody hen to take..... WHICH IS WAY TOOO MANY for my set up, but I can cheat in the summer. Because the day is so long, and they free range most of the day and the chicks will be little for weeks and weeks.

But come the fall and the dark days of winter, I have to reduce my flock, because they will be roosting pretty close to 4:00 in the afternoon till 7:00 the next morning. They will spend most of their time in the coop, and will be too crowded, and it is my responsibility to prevent that.

To be honest, there are a couple of things I do not think will go well with your set up. You have chicks or are going to have chicks that are not close enough in age and size. So you will need to keep each group separate from the other group until they ARE the same size. Chickens do not understand the idea of 'let's all be friends' and will viciously attack any bird that does not belong to their flock and probably kill any bird that is much smaller than them.

I really think you need to cancel the order until next year, (there is always next year.) This will give you plenty of room for the flock, and you would only have to keep them separate for a couple of weeks. It will save on your feed bill, and when they start laying you will have plenty of eggs! It will let you get some experience with raising and culling birds.

Mrs K

 

[Den in Penn]

I am just finishing up a 8x12 coop with the 96 sq. ft of floor space I'm rating it at 24 chickens, even with the 30 sq. ft. the roost platform adds. The good news is that you could get away with it till the late summer when they are all mature, so that gives you some time to whittle the number down for the winter when the bad weather sets in and the coop is all they have. Still canceling the last shipment might be the easiest fix. Another coop is another way to fix it. That will also give you some flexibility in how you house, them if you don't max that too. At the ten sq. ft. of run per bird 300 sq. ft. is under sized already for 40. So that needs to be increased as well. I won't say you're a bad mom yet you realized a potential problem, and are looking for solutions. But Chicken Math can sure cause problems.

 

[mischke]

I understand that it is going to take work to get all the chicks of various ages to get along. If necessary they can be kept separate for a long time. As of right now I know I have at least 6 roosters so at least 4 will be processed. The up coming order was a gift from my mother so canceling the order probably won't happen. I was already planning on building a banty and silkie coop. So that will move 10 out. I really need to make this work and cull as needed. Thank you

 

[mischke]

I am also building a 12ft x 38 in roosting platform.

 

[Mrs. K]

there is one more idea.... you could sell your 8 week old girls(now) in 8 weeks as point of lay hens. You would not have to sell all of them.

Just another idea

 

[Den in Penn]

My avatar picture was taken of them on the roost platform in the barn you see nothing of the floor.

This is the is the inside of the new coop, not finished yet. They will wander around and do what chickens will do. The platform does give them more space but it also catches all the droppings they leave at night. By concentrating the waste I can clean the platform more often and leave the floor go longer. The main reason I rate it at 24 even with the 30 extra square feet is, the roost space. It consists of two perch's of 12 ft or 24 ft total. Which is generous by some standards. LF normally take up 8 inches when they roost. In winter they huddle and take less. But come the heat of summer they spread out and do need the room.

 

[aart]

Good (C)luck!!!