How many chickens - more?

[pookieslw]

Oh help - reading a million different recommendations and very confused.

My new coop is 8 by 6. On one long wall is a roost with wire mesh under it. The wire mesh starts just under the roost- at about 2 feet high- near the wall and extends down to the floor. This area of mesh takes up approximately a third of the floor space. Can I still consider that I have 48 square feet of space per bird? Or do I need to take away that third?

The nesting boxes are on the opposite wall, but high enough for chickens to get under. By the time I hang feeders (I'm thinking of eliminating excess nest boxes for this) the space looks REALLY small.

I leave near Syracuse, NY so these chickens will be inside for the winter, but will free range in summer. Getting 25 Buff Orpington chicks - half males - expecting to do away with most males before the snow flies.

How many hens/roosters will fit for the winter? Would they appreciate a second roost lower down as well?

Anyone in snow country create a covered 'porch' for their birds to get them out in a snow free area on warmer days?

Thank you so much!

 

[patandchickens]

Hi there, welcome to BYC

6x8 is 48 sq ft. Chances are that you will NOT have half your chickens be males, it could be anywhere between like 4 males to 20 males, seldom is it *that* near 50/50

.... but, that said, if you put 12 chickens into a 6x8 coop, that would be 4 sq ft per chicken.

This is minimally-ok in areas with milder winters, but where you are, especially if you keep thinking you have to keep them indoors during winter (see below), there is a fairly good chance of your having problems with cannibalism. Of course some people in Real Winter areas have only 4 sq ft per chicken and get away with it, but it is certainly not your best bet. Halving or quartering the number of chickens in that space would be a whole lot smarter IMO.

Also, no, the area you have screened off for a droppings pit does NOT count as floorspace, so if you kept things that way you would really only have about 32 sq ft, which would be only 8 chickens at (not-recommended in your climate) 4 sq ft, or 3 chickens at a more sensible 10 sq ft per chicken. I would suggest removing the mesh and either installing a droppings board instead (clean daily, if you have lots of chickens in there) or just clean the poo off the bedding under the roost every day or two; that will give you the full size of the coop for the hcickens to use.

As far as "having" to keep them inside during the winter, you really don't and *shouldn't*. Give them a wind-protected congenial area of run, ideally with a (snowload-proof) roof over part or all of it, and let THEM decide when and whether to go outside. In fact if they are reluctant at first you can chuck them out the door and help them discover it's not actually all that bad

If they get too cold they will go back in the coop, and in the meantime they will be healthier and *happier*.

A covered run (or portion thereof) is really nice to have, not just for snow but for rain and summer heat too. You can use whatever you want for the roofing, but make sure you have adequate support structure (posts, beams, rafters, purlins) AND adequate pitch, to deal with your considerable snowload. Basically it needs to be engineered the same as a shed roof would be, only of course the sides will be the mesh sides of the run rather than solid walls. It costs a bit, but IMO is *highly* worthwhile. (All of my runs are roofed

)

Remember to have adequate winter ventilation - you might check out the links in my .sig below.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[pookieslw]

Thanks Pat-

You confirmed what I was fearing.....I think I can take out the wire easily enough, and be left with an area that will still be easy to clean out under the roost. I wish it wasn't there though, because the floor would be one plane of glasbord without it, now it has a wooden bar down the middle. If it gets terrible, then I can rip it up and put in vinyl

I will have to look into building a three solid-sided run for next winter. It would face south, and the coop would block out the prevailing winds - so with that option of space for them on all but the worst days, maybe I can squeeze my plan of 12 birds in for the winter months. I could bill this run as having potential future use for a sheep shelter - our plan is to eventually have a barn to park the coop in during the winter, and my husband wants sheep...

I'm having a frustrated day because we BOUGHT a coop because we just don't have the time right now to be doing any building of ANYTHING. If I don't get the shelter built, more chicken for the freezer, but fewer eggs....plus this will be our first butchering experience - I didn't want to do THAT many!

Oh well - baby steps

I AM getting SOME chickens!

I read your sig line references and they were very helpful. I hadn't considered the effects of our mud season right now......

Thanks again!