how many chickens will this coop and run hold?

[rocksteady]

Hi again folks!

I have a question about coop size
i have read alot of post on this and just wondering for my coop and run area what i could handle

my outdoor run is 10 foot X 30 foot X 72 inches high covered (will need to get some pics up)
my indoor coop/run is 8 footX20foot X 52 inches high covered and inside a 3o foot X 60 foot Polebarn



so the question is ,
how many chickens could i hold?
how many would you stop at? LOL

i live in Michigan also was wondering what things i will have to do to prepare for winter?

i was thinking of enclosing the one end of the indoor Run....
will they need a heat source?
all birds will be about 1 yr old come winter

thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Fred's Hens]

I also live in Michigan. The birds will spend a good deal of time being snowed in. It's just a fact of life. Thus, I don't like to pack them tightly. They'll need room to scratch around and move about. In roughly that same size, I winter over approximately 18-20 birds. Many more in the spring through fall.

As far as heat goes, it is irrelevant if you keep hardy breeds, which most of the American Breeds, so called, are. They were bred, developed and kept in the cold midwest and New England just fine. If the birds are dry, the cold hardly matters at all. They snuggle and tuck their heads on the roost, if need be. They are covered with a down and feather coat, sleep on the feet and just don't pay much attention. This heat this summer has been much more difficult.

Until the mercury dips to -20, the birds could care less. At that point, however, it does get a bit dicey. Temps like that are rare and only last a night or two. At -30, our birds weren't particularly happy, but they did just fine. Again, temps that low are pretty brief and occasional, thank goodness. Heated waterers are a must, of course.

 

[teach1rusl]

There will be many who will tell you that sized coop would hold a LOT more birds than 20 or so, but I'd take Fred's advice. If you want more birds, rotate them in early spring and then cull your flock back down for winters...

 

[FirewifeJess]

They will likely be cooped up in the winter inside the coop (or maybe the whole pole barn???) but if it's just the coop, I would keep no more than 16 birds in it. That's 10s/f per bird and should minimize pecking and behavioral issues. I might even just take it down to a dozen for the winter if they had to stay in the coop. If they have run of an entire pole barn in the winter though, you could do lots more without risking behavioral problems. In the spring/summer, I'm sure you could do LOTS more...like probably get away with 40 birds with sufficient roosting space!

 

[rocksteady]

now there is a thought ....let them have the pole barn for the winter....LOL


dont think wife would like that lol


but yes they will be in the indoor run/coop inside the barn for winter

thanks for the feed back