Scoremaster, I think you are making a good decision in setting up a separate place for your meaties. I certainly support Ol Grey Mare in this. Your chickens would be way overcrowded in your current set-up.
You cannot compare commercial to how we raise them unless you are going full commercial. Commercial is not just about space, it’s about how they are managed. We don’t cut off their upper beak to keep them from eating each other. We don’t have veterinarians standing by to give antibiotics at the first sign of disease. Some chickens are bred to take confinement better than others. And think of poop management. How much poop are 16 current chickens plus 25 meaties going to put out in a small space? I’m not forgetting about the run size either when I say that.
I understand your current 16 are just chicks and the numbers will be reduced as they grow. Without knowing a lot more about your climate, what your coop looks like, your management techniques, and your ultimate goals I’m certainly not in a position to say whether your current size is OK or not for what will be left of the original 16. You might follow the link in my signature to get some of my thoughts on space. I don’t use magic numbers, just give you things to think about. As long as that big run is available most of the time year-around you could be OK. You might want to think about droppings boards or other poop management things. I think poop management may be your biggest issue in that tiny coop, especially if they can get out into the run when they are awake. But some of that will depend on your management techniques.
I am always an advocate for lots of space. I find the more I crowd them the more behavioral problems I have to deal with, the less flexibility I have in managing problems as they show up, and the harder I have to work. I can make my life easier by not overcrowding them and I’m all about making my life easier.
I really don’t believe in magic numbers for living animals. That is for room in a coop, hen to rooster ratio, number of eggs to put under a broody hen, roost space, age to butcher, or practically anything else. We are all unique in our set-ups, goals, flock make-up, climate, management techniques, and everything else. I understand that guidelines are needed for people just starting out that don’t have experience to base decisions on. I’m all in favor of guidelines but those are just a starting point. For example, how much roost space you need is going to depend on the size of the chickens, your climate, how well the coop is ventilated and shaded, how they get to and off the roost, and whether or not you are integrating new chickens. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things. I personally like lots of roost space because tight roosts can lead to behavioral problems with my normal flock make-up but plenty of people get by with 8” per chicken on their roosts.
I’ll mention one other thing to clear up a misunderstanding. Commercial chickens are not worn out and discarded after a year. Commercial meaties are butchered at 6 to 8 weeks old. They certainly don’t make a year. Commercial layers usually start laying at about 5 to 5-1/2 months, lay for around 12 to 15 months (depending on productivity), are put through a molt when productivity drops below a certain level, then lay for another 12 to 15 months before they are discarded. Of course there are exceptions, there always are, but it is more typical that commercial layers are discarded after 2-1/2 to 3 years, not after only one year. By the way, if you get these and put them through a molt to refresh their system they normally lay really well for another laying season but the productivity won’t be quite up to commercial standards. My dual purpose hens are pretty worn out after a season of laying, hatching and raising chicks too but a molt in the fall really refreshes them.
