Coop size vs. fluctuating flock size

[K0k0shka]

I'll preface this by saying that I'm aware of and a supporter of the basic rules for sq ft minimums (4 in the coop, 10 in the run).

I'm currently maxed out in the coop, with 8 LF hens in a 5x7 coop, but my run can hold 15 or so (I don't free range). I'm thinking of raising 5 temporary chickens each summer for meat (Freedom Rangers) - having a broody hatch and raise them with the flock for 10 weeks, at which point I'll butcher them. They'll put me over the minimum in the coop, BUT:

- they'll have lots of room outside
- they'll only be there for 10 weeks, and they'll be young/small for a lot of that time
- they'll only be there in warm weather, and have rain shelter outside, so no need to spend extra time in the coop for shelter, cramped together
- they have an auto door, so they won't be stuck inside any longer than they have to (only for sleep/safety at night)
- I have 12 square feet of permanent 24/7/365 ventilation in the coop. In summer, I open windows and add a screen door to bring the total up to 30
- I have 15 linear feet of roost space
- I have let a broody hatch and raise chicks in this setup, with the flock, and they did great (didn't need to separate etc.)
- the flock gets along well and has accepted new additions twice without drama (hand-raised pullets once, and a broody's chicks once)

With all that in mind... Do you think I can pull it off? (I mean I'm sure I can, but do you think it would be a good idea )

 

[NatJ]

I think it's got a good chance of working well, but you won't know for sure until you try it and see.

If you try it, and things go downhill, I see an easy way out: butcher the meat birds early, even if that means they are quite small at the time.

 

[K0k0shka]

I think it's got a good chance of working well, but you won't know for sure until you try it and see.

If you try it, and things go downhill, I see an easy way out: butcher the meat birds early, even if that means they are quite small at the time.

Yeah, the only way to know is to try. Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious before I do. I'm thinking of butchering the males early either way, to try to get them before they crow (I can't keep roosters where I live). I read that rangers grow quickly and get huge, especially the males, so even if I were to preemptively butcher them at 8 weeks, they'd still have plenty of meat on them.

 

[Alaskan]

Since it is a short term thing.... I would be tempted to use a tractor.

Tractors are small, therefor easily made from junk so cost nothing.

With a tractor if the broody doesn't cooperate, or a flock mate becomes problematic... well... easy to separate the broody and chicks, or just chicks, into the tractor.

I have had some broodies that do great with chicks... but only when they are confined to a smaller area, as in a tractor. Those iffy moms I usually lock up only in the coop part of the tractor (or my much smaller tractor), and only once the chicks are a bit sturdier do I give them access to the entire tractor.

 

[Sueby]

I had considered doing something sort of like this too - but I heard that the cornish x (not sure about the rangers) just poop soooo much that I just might not have enough room, though I technically would have. I'm sure you can make it work, I just thought I'd throw it out there that the thought of all that poop made me reconsider. I really wasn't all that committed anyway, lol.

 

[K0k0shka]

Since it is a short term thing.... I would be tempted to use a tractor.

Tractors are small, therefor easily made from junk so cost nothing.

With a tractor if the broody doesn't cooperate, or a flock mate becomes problematic... well... easy to separate the broody and chicks, or just chicks, into the tractor.

I have had some broodies that do great with chicks... but only when they are confined to a smaller area, as in a tractor. Those iffy moms I usually lock up only in the coop part of the tractor (or my much smaller tractor), and only once the chicks are a bit sturdier do I give them access to the entire tractor.

A tractor would be tempting indeed. But unfortunately, I don't have room for a tractor, since I'm in the 'burbs and my yard isn't all that big. The open lawn that I do have is used by my kids to play on, so I don't want chicken poop on it. So whatever I do, will need to happen in the existing coop and run...

 

[K0k0shka]

I had considered doing something sort of like this too - but I heard that the cornish x (not sure about the rangers) just poop soooo much that I just might not have enough room, though I technically would have. I'm sure you can make it work, I just thought I'd throw it out there that the thought of all that poop made me reconsider. I really wasn't all that committed anyway, lol.

You are so right... I completely forgot about the poop side of things! See, this is why I decided to post anyway, even though I've thought things out and in theory it seems doable. I posted in case I forgot something, and it turns out that I did... Rangers don't grow quite as fast as CX does, so they probably won't produce quite the same mountains of poop, but they do grow faster than regular chickens, so that's gotta mean more poop than normal chickens, too. Hmm. Something to think about. Thanks!