Coop emergency

[darin367]

i've got 2 coops, 1 on each end of the run... 1 is a 5x6 the other is an 8x8,,,, so 30 sq. ft. and 64 sq. ft.......at the moment i've got 13 birds that only use the small coop,,, so not quite 2.5 sq ft per bird.... i used to have 18 birds,, 16 of them would use the small coop and 2 would use the bigger coop...... they have access to both coops 24/7.... they choose to pack into the smaller coop.... they do have a big run and also use both coops in the daytime..... so my point is, they seem pretty happy with 2.5 sq ft per bird because thats what they choose to do!!!!!!!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: That may well change when the weather gets hotter.

 

[OkChickens]

I would recommend a 12x12 coop with 28 birds would be approx 5.14 sq ft per bird. I house my breeder birds in 4x8 coops. I have 8 birds to a 4x8 coop with a 8x10 run. Unless I have a rooster that consistently mounts the hens I don't have a problem with feather picking or aggression. I have 4 of these 4x8 coops and they work well. I also have a 12x20 coop that house about 50 RSL that free range. The coop has a 6x12 feed room leaving the inside coop size to 12x14 making each bird have about 3.4 sq ft of inside space. These birds will free range all day everyday and the coop has great ventilation. Ventilation Is the key to keeping a large number of birds happy in a tight fit coop. They need fresh air and a breeze to cool it down during warm weather.

Nate

 

[Time-Out]

A 12x12 would be good. Have you seen the size od fully grown BOs? They're humungous! Put one BO in a 4sqft coop and see if that doesn't seem too small.