How many chickens can I put here?

[black_cat]

What breeds did you intend on getting?

I DESPERATELy want a cochin but unfortunately don't think that can happen because of their large size
The breed priority list goes like this:
EE
splash marans
salmon faverolle
speckled sussex
barred rock
favaucana

 

[CHlCKEN]

I DESPERATELy want a cochin but unfortunately don't think that can happen because of their large size
The breed priority list goes like this:
EE
splash marans
salmon faverolle
speckled sussex
barred rock
favaucana

Let’s do some switcharooing here....

SPECKLED SUSSEX
EE
splash marans
salmon faverolle
barred rock
favaucana

 

[CHlCKEN]

I DESPERATELy want a cochin but unfortunately don't think that can happen because of their large size
The breed priority list goes like this:
EE
splash marans
salmon faverolle
speckled sussex
barred rock
favaucana

I get that! I desperately want, and would actually die or kill for a Silver Spangled Hamburg, but I can’t have one right now since my coop is maxed out. I want to build that jumbo run I talked about soon.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I mention quarantine because if you miss a case of fowl pox, its basically on your property forever after that, and can take months to make its way thru your flock. Of course, mosquitos can carry it several hundred feet from nearby flocks, and apparently some other birds can carry it as well, plus other poultry like turkeys, who have their own varieties of the stuff.

So if your property isn't big enough to separate new birds from old by several hundred feet, there are some risks you just can't manage beyond visual inspection and hope.

 

[black_cat]

Are these chicks, or started pullets? If you could get two for sure, that would solve the "single" bird integration.

But if the situation is such that you'd rather not get these birds, then it might be best not to go this route.

The first source would be started pullets. The reason that I don't want to get them is because, long story short, if they were available, it would mean that someone has died, and I obviously don't want someone to die.

If I may ask, why do you want more chickens, other than, well, duh, because one must get more chickens! Kidding aside, do you have plans for showing, selling eggs, having more eggs....? Just want some more, different chickens?

I wasn't able to pick the breeds of my girls, and while I love them, I would have gone with drastically different choices. Other than that, I'm looking for egg color variety, and could potentially sell eggs.

You have five nesting boxes for four chickens. Can you make better use of two or three of the nesting boxes more open space? I just saw that they're on the floor level. Is there any way to "add on" to the coop and make the boxes internal? I mean, extend the roof and enclose the space that is above the boxes. That wouldn't take up anymore foot print than what you have now, which I gather you're not allowed to do.

I'm sure someone could do that....I am not the person. This coop is very well built (therefore difficult to take apart) and I have no construction experience whatsoever, meaning that I'd probably mess up more than I'd fix.

Do you need all three roosts? The birds can walk under them, but if you took one out, could you make more use of the vertical space in the coop?

With the space you have, my opinion is 6 is the maximum number of birds; ie, two more.

Need? No. However, it could be useful for integration to have one be easily blocked off, and I really couldn't use that vertical space at all.

 

[black_cat]

I mention quarantine because if you miss a case of fowl pox, its basically on your property forever after that, and can take months to make its way thru your flock. Of course, mosquitos can carry it several hundred feet from nearby flocks, and apparently some other birds can carry it as well, plus other poultry like turkeys, who have their own varieties of the stuff.

So if your property isn't big enough to separate new birds from old by several hundred feet, there are some risks you just can't manage beyond visual inspection and hope.

Right..........that's the problem. I don't think that it's several hundred feet, but I've never measured, so I don't have a distance for you.

I'd much rather get chicks from a hatchery, but what to do with extra chicks is the problem.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Right..........that's the problem. I don't think that it's several hundred feet, but I've never measured, so I don't have a distance for you.

I'd much rather get chicks from a hatchery, but what to do with extra chicks is the problem.

Yes, and I've done adequately with TSC birds, though its most of an hour into town, and they sold out, more often than not, before I could get there this past year, which is how I ended up with the breeds I currently have.

They meet my needs, or hopefully will when I'm done breeding them in a few+ years, but that doesn't mean they meet everyone's needs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Minimum to avoid fights and overcrowding is 10 square foot per bird. Some do ok with less some require more.

I would say most require more. In most cases the minimum really should be closer to 15-20 sq ft especially if they don't have ample free range time. Overall dimensions also matter, because a 100 sq ft run that's long and narrow will cause more friction than a square one, because birds need to be able to get a certain distance away from another to avoid being chased.

I personally feel 100 sq ft should be the minimum run size even if you have a small flock, just because "stuff" such as extra feeders and clutter for enrichment/hiding all eats up space.

I guess the hard question you really should be asking yourself is, if you add new ones and it causes too many issues, are you willing to rehome multiple birds in order to solve it, since expanding isn't an option?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Lemme throw a few things out there.....

Your current birds are not your desired breeds.
Can you potentially sell them and bring in a whole new group that would be the desired breeds?

Maybe split an order with a friend or a fellow BYC person in your area?
Again I would sell or give away the current flock before getting new birds as you do not have adequate integration space.

An example of how I handle things.....
Today I went to get feed. They have the chick cages set up and of course know I have a huge coop....in fact I have 4 coops.
While I am not at max capacity I have PLENTY birds. There are 19 chickens and 7 ducks here.
Of course they wanted me to look at the coming soon lists and reserve birds.....I said no. No is an acceptable answer. I currently have space for 16 additional chickens.....I do not need 16 additional chickens.
When/if I need more I know I can add BECAUSE my set up includes brooding/housing space for any coming in. Just not going to happen this year.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would say most require more. In most cases the minimum really should be closer to 15-20 sq ft especially if they don't have ample free range time. Overall dimensions also matter, because a 100 sq ft run that's long and narrow will cause more friction than a square one, because birds need to be able to get a certain distance away from another to avoid being chased.

I personally feel 100 sq ft should be the minimum run size even if you have a small flock, just because "stuff" such as extra feeders and clutter for enrichment/hiding all eats up space.

I guess the hard question you really should be asking yourself is, if you add new ones and it causes too many issues, are you willing to rehome multiple birds in order to solve it, since expanding isn't an option?

I 100% agree. Some of my more dominant birds can be real buggers to anyone getting to close.
They like their space and are not afraid to defend it.

Ones requiring less space would be docile breeds of bantams.

Good question about what to do if/when things go south.