Configuration Choice for Larger Flock

[cray54]

My wife and I recently moved to the family farm. We previously had 7 chickens with the hope of raising more eventually. My grandfather had 120 as a hobby until recently and we are considering re-configuring the space, raising our own, and continuing to sell eggs on the porch. We are located in Western Massachusetts so there is plenty of snow. We have coyotes, hawks, eagles, weasels, mink, etc., but would still like to give the chickens access outside during the day.

Our primary goals:

• 100 birds including some roosters
• Maximize ability to range outside / minimize feed cost

The space that has been used for the past several years had 120 chickens and was about 620 sq ft in the barn with no access to the outside (5.2 sq ft / bird). We could either use that space in the barn or configure some other space. The barn, however, has only limited ability to range outside. So, here are descriptions of the 3 spaces we likely have available, if these were the only options, which would be most appropriate?

Very Old Chicken Coop

• 210 ft^2 inside (14.5’ x 14.5’)
• 25,000 ft^2 outside
• Direct access to large pasture (ranging space is technically greater, but coop location is fixed)
• Existing structure is relatively small and needs some repair
• A small addition may be possible, but the farm road wraps fairly tightly around the structure

Existing East Barn Setup

• 620 ft^2 inside (35.6’ x 17.3’)
• 2,000 ft^2 outside
• Coop is 10' above ground level, so outside access would require some ramps
• Limited outside space

Possible West Barn Setup

• 970 ft^2 inside possible
• 2,100 ft^2 outside
• Coop would be at ground level
• Would require the most labor building walls and configuring the space
• Limited outside space

Thanks for any help. We have learned most of our chicken information from this forum. If flocks this size or for profit are not for discussion here, please just let me know.

Thanks!
Chris

 

[Judy]

You will find that most people on BYC feel chickens should have outside access.

 

[Percheron chick]

I'd use both #1 and #2 for now to get started. You are going to be growing them out until Sept best case. You know #2 is safe and secure (a little odd at 10' up like it's the upstairs of an outbuilding) but will be a PIA to clean. Start a group of 100 in #2 and follow it up with another 50 in #1 in 3 months. I would test the waters this year and start planning for next year if you want to keep your numbers at 100 or if you want to go nuts. I would design a new structure that had access to the pasture area, power and running water for ease of operation in bad weather. Can either #2 or #3 be picked up and moved? #3 could be the long term solution in it's size alone. It would give you ample space for 100+ hens plus a space for supplies, egg storage and washing. You would also have 20 sq feet per bird of outside area which is better than most. Gets some chicks ordered for now.

 

[cray54]

The barn is built into a hill, so the current coop location can be accessed by entering at the ground level, but the chickens do not have access by that route. Cleaning the current coop is done through holes in the floor (raise a loader bucket below the hole and shovel down).. so there are some small benefits.

None of the options can be moved and we have a fairly strong preference to use an existing structure.

My hope was for them to sustain themselves on their own in the pasture, but the structure over there is only 210 sq ft. Does that really limit us to only 50 birds, or is there a balance (as outdoor space increases, indoor space is less necessary)?

 

[Percheron chick]

Indoor space requirements will go down as more time is spent outside but you live in MA so your chickens are going to be restricted in their outside time and ability to forage for about 1/2 the year. Most chickens hate snow and rain. 150 hens are not going to get much of anything nutritionally out of the 2000 sq ft runs after the first week. I would think you'd need a minimum of 1 acre and even that will not allow you to pull them off and rest the pasture for 1/2 of the growing season. Can you open the door and just let them have run of the property or is the risk factor too high? Can you extend their run with portable electric netting? Is the pasture fenced in and secure? A family of fox can wipe you out in one afternoon. That's probably the reason they were kept locked in the coop. Free ranging will decrease their food consumption to about 1/3 (less than 2 oz per day) but it doesn't take care of all their needs. Why not start with 50 in #2 for the first year with the existing run setup, go through a winter and see? Too many potential pitfalls with that many hens when you don't really know how you will manage the space.

 

[cray54]

I made a mistake.. #2 (the existing setup) has no run at all. It has the possibility of setting up a run that would be ~2000 sq ft, but it would require fencing (to keep them out of the hay field) and building a ramp of some sort.


The predator risks are reasonably high, and I'm still debating about taking the risks. The family would likely require the use of the barn space to have a fenced in run. The very old coop is in a 10-15 acre pasture and it would be much easier to just open the door or fence in a much larger area (for use during the day). We're hoping to get some other animals in the future to help deter predators, so maybe a move to the pasture is a future effort.

Will chickens follow a long fenced path to get to a larger area? I might be able to get them more space, but it is not directly attached to the barn.

Either way, you're definitely right. Get chicks and put them in the existing coop in the barn very soon. My wife and I agreed to at least that much tonight .

 

[Percheron chick]

Chickens are very food motivated so if you build a walkway that gets them from one area to another and the prize is bugs and other treats, they will figure it out once you show them. If the predator risk is high, that's a deal breaker until you can build Fort Knox. You will be replacing your flock faster than you can grow them. Start looking for a good livestock dog. (I've got a GP/lab pound puppy that is the best. He was raise by geese.)