Colored Rangers....run square feet per bird?

[Smeamers]

We're planning on turning our trampoline into a hoop house for meat birds but we're not sure how much space they need. We're going to order the Dixie Rainbows from S and G Poultry, so they'll take around 12 weeks to grow out. We've offered to raise some for my in--laws, but before we can tell them how many we can do, we have to figure out how many square feet per bird and how big we can make our hoop house. I'm assuming it will be heavy, but with two people we're hoping to be able to move it as needed. Thoughts?

 

[UncleHoot]

About 2 square feet per chicken seems to work well for Cornish X. That's twice as much as conventional factory farmed chickens get. I don't think Rangers are fundamentally different, except that they grow more slowly.

But it never hurts to give them a little extra space. Last year, I had 15 of the Colored Rangers mixed in with 60 of my Cornish X's, so for the last 3-4 weeks of their lives, the Rangers had a lot of empty space (in a 10x12 pen). It seemed to work well for me. I processed the Rangers at 12 weeks, and they dressed at between 4 and 6.5 lbs.

I assume the Rangers from S & G are the same as the ones from J.M. Hatchery, which is where I got mine.

EDIT: Just thought I'd edit to add that I've been eyeing my daughters trampoline for the last couple years and thinking, "Gee. That seems like it would make a decent pen." Just make sure the rain-water has somewhere to go, so it doesn't pile up on the chickens or on the roof.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
Someone posted recently about their trampoline coop. Their post was prompted by not being able to move it.

 

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
Someone posted recently about their trampoline coop. Their post was prompted by not being able to move it.

Found it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=56515

too bad.

 

[Smeamers]

From their description, it doesn't sound like the same thing I was thinking of. Here is the old post that inspired us...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=43233

 

[TimG]

This is the post that I was recalling.

The trampoline hoop house is intriguing.