Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[stonykill]

It has worked for me with chickens, meat rabbits and sheep....YMMV.

good to know it wasn't just luck with my flock!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Our barn has 3 pens of 10x8 each. So, doing the math (always a risky thing my OT mind) That would be 240 sq ft, or room, under the formula, for 60 birds. Did I do that right?

Yep, you did it right. So, about 4 square feet per bird? I'm seeing a pattern here.

Sounds like you got your 4 sq.ft. of roosting space to me!

LOL, I was genuinely sincere about checking my math, but I wasn't overly serious about the basis of the question, really. You see, I simply cannot imagine wintering over 60 birds in our barn. This was a bit cheeky, I know, but the truth is that this may point out the problem with "formulas" in general. OK, they are fine as a starting reference point, because everyone has to start somewhere, but they also tend to become THE truth or THE formula too quickly in people's minds.

Would you be interested in knowing how many birds I actually winter over those pens? And, how that compares to the formula?

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

LOL, I was genuinely sincere about checking my math, but I wasn't overly serious about the basis of the question, really. You see, I simply cannot imagine wintering over 60 birds in our barn. This was a bit cheeky, I know, but the truth is that this may point out the problem with "formulas" in general. OK, they are fine as a starting reference point, because everyone has to start somewhere, but they also tend to become THE truth or THE formula too quickly in people's minds.

Would you be interested in knowing how many birds I actually winter over those pens? And, how that compares to the formula?

I'm interested!

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

It has worked for me with chickens, meat rabbits and sheep....YMMV.

Excellent!

I will definitely add this to my breeding projects. Hopefully someday I won't have to worry about what to do with extra roos that won't fit in the freezer.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Reminds me of an ad I saw for a camper, 'sleeps four, eight if they're real good friends'! Some of mine take a whole perch-or just as far as they can swing a beak. Others snuggle in real close. Somehow or another everybody finds a spot...I'm sure I've far exceeded the 'legal' limit for chicken coop ratios this year...but since they only sleep in there I'm getting away with it. One solution I used is to hang the roost from the rafters, only the small and agile can balance there comfortably, free from bigger meanies trying to take their spots...too many and it tends to tilt...

 

[ginamarie]

LOL, I was genuinely sincere about checking my math, but I wasn't overly serious about the basis of the question, really. You see, I simply cannot imagine wintering over 60 birds in our barn. This was a bit cheeky, I know, but the truth is that this may point out the problem with "formulas" in general. OK, they are fine as a starting reference point, because everyone has to start somewhere, but they also tend to become THE truth or THE formula too quickly in people's minds.

Would you be interested in knowing how many birds I actually winter over those pens? And, how that compares to the formula?

I'm also interested in knowing how many?

 

[daver]

LOL, I was genuinely sincere about checking my math, but I wasn't overly serious about the basis of the question, really. You see, I simply cannot imagine wintering over 60 birds in our barn. This was a bit cheeky, I know, but the truth is that this may point out the problem with "formulas" in general. OK, they are fine as a starting reference point, because everyone has to start somewhere, but they also tend to become THE truth or THE formula too quickly in people's minds.

Would you be interested in knowing how many birds I actually winter over those pens? And, how that compares to the formula?

Why of course!!!

Don't keep us newbies in suspense.

 

[Fred's Hens]

An 8x10 pen (or a stand alone 8x10 coop, for that matter) might be adequate housing year 'round for 20 birds in much of the US and might be fine up here from late April through October, as the birds spend most of their time outside. By the time you subtract real area needed for a watering platform, feeding area, roosts and nests, how much "free space" is still available? One difficulty with the formulas is that all these items vary by design and space reduction and the formulas don't seem to take this into account. Everyone sets up their coop or pens somewhat differently and uniquely with different equipment and accoutrements. Those things are called variables.

The formulas don't seem to take into account areas of the country where snow pack 3 and 4 feet deep can last for months. Sure you can clean runways with the tractor, as I do, but when you pull the snow off, the frozen ground soon becomes hard packed and turns into a Luge run and the birds aren't thrilled with it. How much time can they spend outside in a barren, frozen, white, waste land? Darkness is from 5 pm until 8:30 am, or 2/3 of the 24 hour period. Where are the birds for those long, long hours of darkness? Inside, of course, day after day. Again, formulas don't seem to take geography and climate into account, or not nearly enough when they do get mentioned.

No, it is much better that we winter over the majority of our nearly 200 birds in southern KY. I don't need roosters here in the winter. All I need is a basic pullet dominated laying flock for my wife's small egg business and a few of my favorites. That's it. You have to know your breeds and their temperaments and their ability to accept confinement.

How many waterers can one keep liquid in sub-zero weather? Since the birds are confined for the large majority of each 24 hour day, where is most of the poop going to be deposited? This isn't like the summer time when they leave a neat pile under the roosts, but the rest is spread around the property. No, no, it is virtually all dumped in the pens. I never read or hear about these issues whenever the "formula" is quoted.

Frankly, I have not really thought all this through with such detail, as I just sort of "know". It's kind of strange actually thinking through all these details and writing them down. It becomes instinct after awhile and you don't know what you know until or unless you stop and think about it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The answer, BTW, varies a bit from year to year, but rarely do I winter over more than 12 birds per 8x10 pen, or 36 total birds. (or about 18 dozen eggs a week) I have no idea what the math is on that, but it sure isn't 60 birds by the 4 sq. ft. guideline.

My day is over. See you around the forum.

 

[Beekissed]

Excellent post and points, Fred. That's why I always say that the square foot rule isn't a rule...it depends.

And one never knows about their own particular case or space issue until they try their flock in it, so it's better to start low and then increase as you see the space will comfortably and in a healthy manner accommodate a specific number of birds. Same with forage areas...I've heard folks say they can stock X acres with X amount of livestock and it just doesn't fly if the pasture/forage isn't the same in every single case...and it never is. The animal may have the same needs from acre to acre but not all acres are the same, as not all coops are the same, depending on weather related, or even flock related, needs.


See? This kind of information is the kind you won't find in any book out there.....Fred's wisdom is gleaned from years of just plain ol' finding out through experience. Formulas hardly ever work on things with wide variables....and with the animal world, those are many.