Help Need On Amount for coop

[joshremlin]

Hi all,

Im building the nesting box bit on the inside of my garage its going to be a meter square just over with nesting boxers on the outside of the inside walls (in the garage), the nesting boxers will be 13 inch by 13 inch 3 down each wall totaling to 6.

The run on the outside of the garage will be just over 1.5 meter wide by just over 3 meter long.

Now you can kinder picture my coop size the main question is how many smallish hens/ batams will it nicely accomendate?

Thanks in advance
Josh

 

[teach1rusl]

That really depends on many factors, including whether the bantams you end up with are a flighty breed or very calm/docile. Plus bantams can range in size from very tiny, to not too much smaller than standard chickens. Also, will they always be in the coop/run, or will they be allowed to range a bit each day???

Overall, I wouldn't keep more than 4 bantams in that set-up, but I believe in giving birds a bit of space. I keep two silkies and a d'uccle in a coop/run a little larger than you're describing, and they pace their run each morning complaining loudly, wanting out...lol (because my birds do spend time ranging). If you think they'll pretty much always be confined to that space, I'd probably opt for 3.

 

[joshremlin]

Well they will get a run about and all the birds will be clipped and be a small batam breed

 

[Snow mom]

You won't need so many nest boxes in that space. My coop is going to be a bit larger and I'm doing 2 boxes. The recommendation I've read here is 1 box per 3 hens. Even then it seems like people report that certain nest boxes are favored and others aren't used at all.

 

[teach1rusl]

Well, some say as little as 2 sq. ft of housing space and 5 sq. ft of run space for small bantams, but I feel that is quite cramped. Ideally, they would have ample space so that they would get to behave like chickens, scratching and pecking about. The more space they have, the easier to keep clean too...
I'm not a metric person, but it seems you're saying that the housing would be about 3ft.x3ft and the run would be about 4ftx12ft...??? So in my opinion, 3-4 bantams would do okay in that space if of a calm breed, 2-3 if they're a very flightly breed.

 

[joshremlin]

Im becoming to get mixed revues on this subject some peopke on other forums say up to 8 small breeded hens and direct gov say 250 cm sq to one bird but that would make then very cramped because that works out 1 m sq is 10,000 cm sq so that equals 40 birds.

Im looking at around 6 to 8 no more than 8 smallish sized birds so wot size coupe do you reccomend and what size run bearing in mind the will get a run in the garden a few times a week.

I do know when you go to the local jtf warehouse and look a there duluxe coop which in not very big they say it will hold 6 birds of a smallish breed.

Thanks in advance

 

[teach1rusl]

Well, this is just my opinion, since you said "would fit nicely." To me, nicely means not cramped. You'll get LOTS of different opinions, because most texts take into account factory farm standards of acceptability, which is about 1 sq. ft. of space per bird - the birds are literally crammed in there. So folks who have similar outlooks are going to cram a bunch of birds into a tiny space. My outlook isn't like that - I like my chickens to have the space to act like chickens, and I'd rather have fewer birds to accomplish that. In mild weather areas (year round) in which the birds are only inside the housing overnight to roost, then a cramped housing might be doable without behavioral issues erupting. However, ample run room becomes even more important. Silkies are known to be very mild bantams, but I could never imagine only giving them 5 sq. ft of outdoor space unless they were able to freerange in a yard or such several hours per day. If they are contained in a run for most of the day, then even for bantams I would want at least 10 sq. ft. of run space PER BIRD. But as I said, I want my chickens to be able to act like chickens... To each their own...

 

[joshremlin]

Yeah i would like them to be able to act like chickens too I'm wanting to give battery hen chickens a more spaceful and peaceful end of life, it would be better if people told me there coop and run sizes and how many birds they have in there does that sound a better plan ???

If not im not wanting them cramped they will freerange on the garden from time to time in the day.

I might just buy a few then add to them if they dont look cramped up if they do look cramped get rid of one or two to some one with more coop and run space!!