Do chickens need their own personal space?

[Kernel Cluck]

This is my first summer with full grown hens. ( well almost, they will be a year in July). When they were smaller, the coop seemed plenty big, but now I am afraid that they will be too crowded. Do chickens, at night, like to huddle all year or is it best to give them space to spread out? This is the coop all 6 hens share. They are RIR's, white rocks, and speckled sussex so they are not small.

 

[roostersandhens]

hmmm... Seems a bit small for 6 girls. its plenty room for sleeping though. I do request either making a run or letting them free-range.

 

[cknkids]

It looks small, what are the measurements? How close are you to the recommended 4 sq ft of house and 10 sq ft of run space? Do they free range? Where you live and how your coop is built, can leave the pop door open between the house and run at night?

 

[missnu01]

I can never tell how big things are through pictures... But chickens won't huddle so close when it's hot out.. So they need a little room. If you think about it a buff Orpington is a foot to 18 inches wide, and if they spread their wings they're probably about 3 feet wide... So 4 feet keeps chickens from flapping their coop mates with their wings when they stretch.

 

[gryeyes]

For laying, coming in to eat and sleeping at night, looks okay for six chickens but only if they get out into a run or range freely. (chknkids mentioned the reccommendations for space requirements: 4 square feet per LF chicken inside and 10 square feet per bird in the run.) The suggestion for roost space is one linear foot per chicken and about 15-18 inches from the wall. They may snuggle right next to each other, but they still need space to jump, use wings to balance, turn around, etc. whilst on the roost.

 

[Kernel Cluck]

The first picture of the coop might have been a bad representation of what they have. This one is better. I also let them out to free range whn I am home. I have been leaving the pop door between the house and the run. I am thinking of giving one of the girls to a friend who has chickens and tons of space in her coop. My concern is that the close quarters at night will cause them to not get along.

 

[Too Fast]

Well the enclosed coop itself looks barely big enough for 6 chickens, but the rest of the space is plenty. Only if you have to keep them enclosed for periods of time do I see much of a problem, if any. Your coop and run look fantastic, BTW. Is that a solar panel? Do you use it for keeping the water from freezing, or what?

 

[Kernel Cluck]

Too Fast, you have good eyes. That is a small solar panel. In the winter, I cant see anything at night so it is attached to a motion sensor that lights up the coop area so I can see what I am doing. I thought the house area looked small. All of a sudden they were full grown. I think I am going to give one hen to my friend who has huge chicken coops and plenty of room.

 

[Too Fast]

How much does a solar panel like that cost? I wonder if I could reliably use that for heating the water next winter.

 

[Kernel Cluck]

The whole thing, light and panel if I remember correctly was about $60. I am not sure this would power the heater. Mid-winter, less sunlight, it struggled to keep the LED flood light on for 5 minutes. Just enough for my purposes but probably not enough for you.