How many chickens should I keep

[21hens-incharge]

A visual for you. This coop (pic taken during repaint and sprucing up) is sized for 24 birds. It measures 8x14 so is 112 square feet. I have internal nest boxes so subtracted that square footage to determine my max occupancy.

If I read the first post right your run is 70 square feet....that is big enough for 7 birds.

 

[TaylorGlade]

Just out of curiosity. Does the roosting bars not count in these measurements at all ? These things are LONG . I mean 5 birds could roost (full grown ) with space in between them comfortable . And that would leave 3 birds on the floor . 2 of the birds I have are olive eggers that are going to be small (legbar mixes )

Assuming they’ll use the bars and not all be crowded together on the floor… is that still not comfortable enough ?

In addition to the coop and run space, the coop should have about 8-12 inches of roosting space per bird. So, if we say 10 in and 13 birds - 130 inches total - or about 10-11 ft of roosting space total. And keep in mind that you cannot have half a chicken on a roosting bar - and make sure it comes to whole numbers and makes sense. (That was my learning curve. Lol)

 

[TaylorGlade]

View attachment 3772002

A visual for you. This coop (pic taken during repaint and sprucing up) is sized for 24 birds. It measures 8x14 so is 112 square feet. I have internal nest boxes so subtracted that square footage to determine my max occupancy.

If I read the first post right your run is 70 square feet....that is big enough for 7 birds.

I love the design! So charming. What is the floor made from

 

[tlcmurphy]

Just took the quiz!

Me too, funny as heck!

 

[AinaWGSD]

“That may be what you’re hearing, but…” yeah I could feel the attitude coming through that screen gf. Ya need to tone it down. I made that comment sarcastically. I’m not getting rid of my babies. I’ll do what I need to do. I started a thread to get advice, not to be bashed.

Thank you and have a great day.

I'm sorry you felt I replied with attitude, that was not my intent. But when you wrote "what I'm hearing" I mistook that sarcasm for misunderstanding. My mistake. I am glad to hear that you are looking into ensuring that your coop will have adequate space for your birds.

As an aside, you may want to double check chicken laws in your area. I know that the way the law is written where I live you are required to have no less than 4sq ft/bird and keeping 13 birds in a 5x5 coop would run the risk of the city forcing you to get rid of your chickens. (They also limit us to 6 chickens, but that would still fall short of the 4sq ft rule) And possibly repealing the ordinance allowing anyone chickens if the one city council member had his way.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I love the design! So charming. What is the floor made from

It is 3/4" plywood. Painted with porch and floor paint.

 

[BrahmasMama02]

I'm sorry you felt I replied with attitude, that was not my intent. But when you wrote "what I'm hearing" I mistook that sarcasm for misunderstanding. My mistake. I am glad to hear that you are looking into ensuring that your coop will have adequate space for your birds.

As an aside, you may want to double check chicken laws in your area. I know that the way the law is written where I live you are required to have no less than 4sq ft/bird and keeping 13 birds in a 5x5 coop would run the risk of the city forcing you to get rid of your chickens. (They also limit us to 6 chickens, but that would still fall short of the 4sq ft rule) And possibly repealing the ordinance allowing anyone chickens if the one city council member had his way.

Just checked and there isn’t a law on coup size where I’m at. I didn’t know that there were laws in general so I appreciate you sharing that with me.

 

[BrahmasMama02]

View attachment 3772002

A visual for you. This coop (pic taken during repaint and sprucing up) is sized for 24 birds. It measures 8x14 so is 112 square feet. I have internal nest boxes so subtracted that square footage to determine my max occupancy.

If I read the first post right your run is 70 square feet....that is big enough for 7 birds.

That coup is nice!! Holy cow.

 

[FunClucks]

So, I live in north alabama, where we get one day of snow a year (read no snow load), and only maybe a week of freezing temperatures on a normal year (this past year has not been normal!). I keep mine confined 24/7 due to predators in a covered run entirely covered with 1/2" hardware cloth and with a 3 ft apron around each coop. I don't have a traditional coop. I put perches in their run, and I'll put up plastic outside the coop and pieces of plywood up for wind blocks in the winter time as needed. It gets so hot here in the summer, we need as much ventilation as possible - both ends of my hoop coops are full mesh. My best coops are a hoop coop and a green house frame hoop coop, with a tarp over the top of both.

I found that if I give my chickens less than 15 ft of space per bird, I get awful problems with feather picking in the winter time, and bullying year round, and overmating when roosters are involved. Need a cluttered run, things to do, and stuff to hide under and run around to block line of sight. My chickens have access to that 15 ft of space per chicken 24/7, and that helps to have a calmer flock and less drama/fighting/bullying. I've tried to do 10 sq feet or 12 sq feet per chicken, and it didn't go well. My flocks are mixes of ISA brown, golden comet, orpington, prairie bluebell, starlight greeen egger, etc.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That coup is nice!! Holy cow.

Thank you.
I didn't post it to brag. I posted it to give you a visual on what a coop for 24 birds looks like.