How do you calculate how many chickens you can have in a coop?

[Amy's Animals]

How do you determine how many chickens can fit in a 27' x 15' run if each chicken is given 6 square feet? And how many chickens can fit in a 10'x 10' henhouse if each chicken is given 4 square feet? I can't remember how to do it, please help me out. Thanks

 

[Mommi3130]

Square footage is done by multipling the numbers together. So for a 10x10 the square footage is 100 sq ft. So if you divide 100 by 4 (sq ft per bird) you will get how many can go in a 10x10 building.

So:
10x10=100
100 Divided by 4 = 25 birds for a 10x10 building.

 

[TipsyDog]

For your run:

27 x 15 = 405

Divide by 6 = 67.5 chickens

I'd give 10 feet per bird, so 40 chickens.

 

[Amy's Animals]

Thanks

I did that calculation before but it just didn't seem right to me that I could fit 67 chickens in a 27' x 15' run, should that be correct? It seems way to small for that!

 

[Amy's Animals]

I re-measured and it is roughly 13' x 31' but I still do absolutely NOT see 67 chickens in there unless they are completely and totally crammed toghether like sardines in a can, or maybe that is just me? It just seems way too small for that but the measurements are correct! I'm so confused! If you ask me, 20 chickens seems tops!

 

[chookchick]

Go with your gut, the 10 sq. ft. is given as a minimum, but I think it is waaay too tight for chickens that never free-range. 20 sq. ft. seems a lot more reasonable. So with 403 sq. ft., 20 hens would be about right. 4 sq. ft. in the coop also seems tight, at 100 sq. ft--20 chickens would have 5 sq. ft. each. Still seems tight if they need to be in the coop much.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Go with what feels comfortable. Those calculations are correct but I never use them because it seems like too many to me too. I just eyeball it and everything works out fine.

 

[Berkeley_Chicken_boy]

The 4 square feet per chicken is taking a near-industrial ag approach ( "modern" industrial farms are even denser than that!). I would agree with the 10-20 square feet per bird. I have 7 in about 350 square feet, and they have almost too much room! They all hang out right next to each other, so not all that much space is NEEDED. they'll take all that you give them though!

 

[Amy's Animals]

Thanks everyone

, my chickens get to free range every other day

 

[New Chicken Mamma]

Square footage is done by multipling the numbers together. So for a 10x10 the square footage is 100 sq ft. So if you divide 100 by 4 (sq ft per bird) you will get how many can go in a 10x10 building.

So:
10x10=100
100 Divided by 4 = 25 birds for a 10x10 building.

LOL, Love the quote