Coop vs run size?

[Chad Nolen]

I hope this isn't a dumb question but I see the rule of thumb is 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 10 sq ft per bird in the pen.

My coop is a 5 x 8 so that means about 10 birds but my run is large enough for 56 birds. I have 8 nesting boxes in the coop. How many birds does this mean I can have about??? Run is 20 x 28

 

[21hens-incharge]

There are so many variables when housing birds it is a tough call.
I am sure you will get lots of different opinions.
The most common things that affect the final numbers for me are listed below.

The weather... Both hot and cold. If they will be confined due to snow, rain they need more coop space then 4sq ft in the coop. If it gets super hot packing a lot in a small coop to sleep they get and stay overheated.

The breeds chosen will have varying needs. Some breeds handle confinement well while others get very cranky. Within each breed there are always exceptions. If the birds are feeling crowded it will show in behavior issues like feather pulling, fighting and yes cannibalism.

Manure management can be an issue in large flocks. How often do you plan to clean the coop and what to do with all that poo should be considered of course. The more birds the more poo.

Those are the 3 key factors for me at least. I am sure there are thousands more.

So I am sure folks will ask...

What breed do you keep and what breed(s) do you want to add?

What is the weather like where you are?

Do you plan to raise chicks? (That will bring lots more questions.)

Do you have a plan for integrating the new birds, or housing sick or injured?

How about broody mamas? They can be a real bearcat at times.

I hope this gives food for thought. I look forward to hearing what the plan is.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[Chad Nolen]

Gotcha. We pretty much plan on keeping just the general breeds RIR & barred rock. We have a rooster and may try to hatch eggs in future. But my question still remains in a somewhat general form about how many birds at these sizes can we keep? We do want to keep them year round and are in PA so there will be snow

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would stick with a smaller number as both breeds you list tend to be very active and dominant.

I would go with no more then a dozen birds given that they DO have that larger run.

 

[RUNuts]

Keep in mind that you may be buried in eggs if you don't have an outlet. So what is your goal? Everything is touchy-feely. Try a little and grow until you reach your limit.

 

[Folly's place]

Start with fewer, and see how it goes. Hatchery RIRs (production reds) tend to be pushy and need more space. Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

The Coop size is what you need to go with here, it is your smallest size. Many people think that perhaps you can cheat on the coop size if you have more space in the run or free range for most or part of the day.

You can cheat late spring going into summer, especially if your numbers have chicks in them. They are smaller, need less space, and the daylight is the longest part of the 24 hours.... but by August, you need to take a very good look at your space. The chicks are now full grown, and the day length is getting shorter. Now they are spending MORE AND MORE time in the coop, roosted up. By December, they are on the roost longer than they are out in the run, and that is when and where coop space is crucial.

As stated above, different flocks, different birds need different space. They have not read the book. Watch how they are getting along, is there a lot of tension in the flock? Birds reaching out and giving a mighty peck as a bird goes by? A lot of squawking? Those can be signs of tension (can also be a sign of egg laying) If there is tension, try removing a bird and see if it goes down.

Mrs K

 

[lazy gardener]

I would base flock size on the coop. Unless you are in a climate where it stays above freezing year round, and you don't get much in the way of snow, You can't plan on the extra size of the run making up the difference for shortage of coop space.

But, you can work your run space to more advantage. It looks like a big bare rectangle. If you convert your run to a deep litter run, put up some multi height and out of sight areas: pallets raised on cinder blocks or legs, pallet made into A frame, hay bale pyramid (stack of 3 bales) with a tunnel between the 2 bottom bales. Perches. If you get cold winters, block off part of the run with 4 - 6 mil poly, to create a sunroom for them.

 

[Mrs. K]

Adding stuff to the run, makes it look a bit more cluttered, but you birds use more of it. Right now, they are only using the ground level. It is really better for chickens to do as Lazy Gardener suggests.

 

[aart]

Ditto on the coop size is your population limiter.
Especially in your climate with an uncovered run.

Cabin fever is real, even for chickens, and it can get ugly.
I had about 6sqft last winter, kept more birds than previous winters.
It was tight, crabbiness ensued, won't do it again.
Get thru your first winter, you'll learn a lot about chicken behaviors.

We have a rooster and may try to hatch eggs in future.

You'll want extra and separate space to integrate new birds, even using a broody hen it's often good to have her separated by wire from the flock until a few days to a week after hatch.

I fence off 4 feet of the coop to brood and integrate chicks, it works well.