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chickity-chick
Songster
Hi! yes I live in Atlanta Georgia so it is both hot and cold but never really goes bellow 25minimum and that is rare to even get that low. My area is very interesting it is divided up as such: a 6X6 walk in run in the center, then shooting off from that a 3X6 low run. Then shooting off in a different place from the walk in is a tunnel roughly 3ft wide and 8feet long (low part of the run) that connects the other coop and smaller run which is a 3X7ft run. So technically my run area will be larger than the 75 mentioned and closer to 90sqrft because of the tunnel that connects to main run to the smaller runs under the coops. So it is a very broken up area with many different rooms and entrances and exits. My birds are still babies- the 4 I have are 3 weeks and still in the brooder, I want to add 3 more in a neighboring brooder so they can see and smell and interact but not touch to get them integrated for roughly a week and then put them in the same brooder together. Since the integration is being done as babies and not adults would it still be a problem with the square footage in my run? This seems to be what everyone is saying- that the integration is what takes a lot more space. I also really only want 5-6 birds max I just would have to buy 3-4 because I don't want only 2 together all alone in a separate brooder- would prefer a few more for warmth reasons.@Chickity-chick— where are you located?
If you have some visual interruptions in the run, and roosts, you can likely be fine with 9 sqft/bird. But, you still need to watch their behavior. Even with ample space, some birds just don’t get along, even after hashing out the pecking order.
if you are in a snowy/harsher climate then you’ll need to know that you need more coop and covered run space. Since you have a pool, maybe you are in a milder or warmer climate.
2 coops: as a flock, birds will try to cram into one coop at night, they prioritize flock togetherness over comfort and spaceon the roost. Sometimes two coops works out, but many report that all birds cram into one at night. Maybe you can connect them together if that is the case with your birds.
pool: yes, a possible hazard, but less so if there are not things around that will seriously frighten them to jump or run blindly...like a dog chasing them. You might find the worst hazard is to your feet when you step in their poop just as you enter or leave the pool.
hazardous plants. I’d be most concerned about delicious looking poison berries. Many on here report that the chickens just know ( usually) to avoid things that are bad for them. But the allure of a fat red berry is something to consider.
good luck.
Also yes I have those poison berry bushes, if there is other stuff around like mulch to dig in and scratch will they ignore the red berries?