How many chickens? MATH TIME

[belindaschicks]

I am doubling the size of the run. I just can't add to their house/ roost sleep sleep area. So their run will soon be 20×5 and house still 5×5.

 

[pennyJo1960]

then you stuck with your 5 I am so sorry it would not be fair to add to the numbers

 

[Fishkeeper]

Can you build another coop? Two coops in one run could work.

 

[Cryss]

I am doubling the size of the run. I just can't add to their house/ roost sleep sleep area. So their run will soon be 20×5 and house still 5×5.

Your house is big enough for 6 chooks. You currently have 5. You should never introduce one solitary bird to an existing flock. Such a bird would be ostracized and picked/pecked on. Torturous for that new bird, but you do not have room to adopt 2. Without increasing the current house size, or possibly adding an additional house, 5 chickens is your safe limit.
On the other hand, your run will be large enough for 10 chickens. Your 5 will think they are in heaven!
You might want to consider a second house that could hold another 5 birds max.
I understand chicken math. I started in November wanting 4 hens. Already I now have 6 pullets and 1 cockerel with an eye on more. I am building a house larger than needed for my planned number because I understand (read that "fear") chicken math. I'm tripling the run.
Good luck, look forward to seeing which way you chose.

 

[aart]

Agrees with all the others who say your coop is at it's limits.
.....and integrating new birds takes extra space.
Crowding is ugly, unhealthy, and certainly not fair to the birds.

You can cheat in the summer.

Well, yes... unless, like now, it's pouring rain for 2 days straight and you have an uncovered run. Even with ~5sqft per bird in coop, they are crabby in there.

 

[JDN]

How "confined" are they to the house? Is the Run covered? If they can enter and leave the coop at their leisure, you might get away with a few more birds. If they are often cooped up, then maybe not so much. I have 5 that live in one IBC Tote that's 15 sf. But, that sits on a table, and the table/tank is under a tarp in the 200 sf run. So, they only go up to roost, and the run is more secure than the coop so I don't shut them in the coop, they fly up around sundown and are out in the morning before I wake up.

 

[belindaschicks]

How "confined" are they to the house? Is the Run covered? If they can enter and leave the coop at their leisure, you might get away with a few more birds. If they are often cooped up, then maybe not so much. I have 5 that live in one IBC Tote that's 15 sf. But, that sits on a table, and the table/tank is under a tarp in the 200 sf run. So, they only go up to roost, and the run is more secure than the coop so I don't shut them in the coop, they fly up around sundown and are out in the morning before I wake up.

That's the point I was trying to make. They only roost in there at night and come and go as they please. They are never "cooped up" my run is covered and in winter all sides are covered in green house plastic making snow a non issue, rain is a non issue. I'm literally talking about is this going to be a problem sleep space wise since they are not stuck in there during periods of poor weather or waiting for someone to open a door.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

That's the point I was trying to make. They only roost in there at night and come and go as they please. They are never "cooped up" my run is covered and in winter all sides are covered in green house plastic making snow a non issue, rain is a non issue. I'm literally talking about is this going to be a problem sleep space wise since they are not stuck in there during periods of poor weather or waiting for someone to open a door.

Clearly you plan on more chickens. You have been told over and over that you are maxed out, yet you will still get more chickens. Go get them, report back in six months, maybe everyone else is wrong.

Gary

 

[Cryss]

Clearly you plan on more chickens. You have been told over and over that you are maxed out, yet you will still get more chickens. Go get them, report back in six months, maybe everyone else is wrong.

Gary

Totally 100% agree.

 

[Cryss]

Of course they're not "cooped up". Of course they have access to a nice run. The coop is only meant for roosting to sleep at night, lay eggs peacefully, and on occasion hang out. So the question is how much space per chicken is needed for only these activities, not being "cooped up"? The answer is 4 sq. ft. That formula wasn't developed to be used for "cooped up" chickens. It was developed to be used fo chickens that sleep in the same house, lay eggs in the same house, and occasionally hang out in the same house. This formula is ALL ABOUT sleep space because that's when they are all inside.