coop slash run size

[scoremaster]

Me and a coworker are splitting 50 cornish vrosses so 25 cor me to raise i have a smaller coop that 6x3 for the chickens i have currently 16 total some were to be cornish cross but i think more white leghorn 6 layers and 4 banteys so the bantys are safe but if any of the others are roos its off with the head along with the crosses

But i was wondering if i could crowd them a lillte or if i would have to build another coop or a temp. One for the time being and my run is 30 by 20 so plenty of room outside

Any advice is apprec.
Thanks,
Scott

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Me and a coworker are splitting 50 cornish vrosses so 25 cor me to raise i have a smaller coop that 6x3 for the chickens i have currently 16 total some were to be cornish cross but i think more white leghorn 6 layers and 4 banteys so the bantys are safe but if any of the others are roos its off with the head along with the crosses

But i was wondering if i could crowd them a lillte or if i would have to build another coop or a temp. One for the time being and my run is 30 by 20 so plenty of room outside

Any advice is apprec.
Thanks,
Scott

Overcrowding is a bad idea on several counts - it contributes to an increased risk of illness and increased risk of stress related behavioral issues (picking, etc). Your coop is already overcrowded with the birds you have - putting 25 additional birds in that would be cruel. Your best bet is to construct a simple tractor setup for your Cornish.

 

[scoremaster]

Old grey dont beat me up to bad lol.
Most of them are meat chickens and it seems just from watching the others i may have a few roos in my egg layers as there are a few that fluff their neck and belly bump now and then i may be wrong but i should be down to great coop space in no time .

And after some planing i believe i may be able to coop my new meaties just a mile up the road at my father in laws but of course it will cost me a few for the effort of feeding lol.
Thanks for the reply,

Scott

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Old grey dont beat me up to bad lol.
Most of them are meat chickens and it seems just from watching the others i may have a few roos in my egg layers as there are a few that fluff their neck and belly bump now and then i may be wrong but i should be down to great coop space in no time .

And after some planing i believe i may be able to coop my new meaties just a mile up the road at my father in laws but of course it will cost me a few for the effort of feeding lol.
Thanks for the reply,

Scott

I didn't beat you up at all - simply stated a response to the facts as you presented them.

 

[junebuggena]

Your coop is appropriately sized for about 4 mediums sized adult birds. You are well over your coops capacity. Don't get any more birds until you can properly house them.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

It's up to you....

Some responses to this will be silly, they seem to be forgetting the 20x30 run.

I have a 4x8 coop/run with a 4x4 roost area that easily houses 15 layers. All they do is spend the night in there so they are safe, they free range the rest of the time.

Some seem to forget how chickens are housed commercially, as long as you get them outside they should be fine. Odds are your broilers will stop going inside as they grow, a covered corner of the run may be a good idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

It's up to you....

Some responses to this will be silly, they seem to be forgetting the 20x30 run.

I have a 4x8 coop/run with a 4x4 roost area that easily houses 15 layers. All they do is spend the night in there so they are safe, they free range the rest of the time.

Some seem to forget how chickens are housed commercially, as long as you get them outside they should be fine. Odds are your broilers will stop going inside as they grow, a covered corner of the run may be a good idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Using commercial housing as a comparison to the appropriate housing arrangements for a home flock is the most utterly ridiculous thing I have read in quite some time. Just because you *can* cram x number of birds into x amount of spaces does not mean it is appropriate or good management practice. I have not at all "forgotten" the run that is available in my personal assessment of the proposed flock additions.

 

[bigbruce]

I wouldn't bring up how chickens are housed commercially.commercial chickens are worn out and disguarded at a year old.good life huh

 

[junebuggena]

It's up to you....

Some responses to this will be silly, they seem to be forgetting the 20x30 run.

I have a 4x8 coop/run with a 4x4 roost area that easily houses 15 layers. All they do is spend the night in there so they are safe, they free range the rest of the time.

Some seem to forget how chickens are housed commercially, as long as you get them outside they should be fine. Odds are your broilers will stop going inside as they grow, a covered corner of the run may be a good idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow. What happens when you get a run of bad weather days? Your flock just has to suck it up? If they want shelter, they are overcrowded and stress. If they want space they have to go out in a storm. By the way, 15 hens should have 22 and a half feet of roosting space, not a mere 16. On warm nights it leaves no space between birds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

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.