How many chickens?

[Clayman88]

I'm about to start my coop and run next week and will be ordering the chickens once I've got a good start on the coop and run.

The breeds I'm looking at are Blackrock, Blacktail and Speckledy. The coop will be 6ft x 3ft and run will be 6ft x 8ft although I could stretch it to 6 x 4 & 6 x 9 so how many chickens should I be looking at, I contacted some breeders and had numbers from 4 to 12 so being a first timer I'm a little confused. Although one breeder mentioned 12 I don't want that many, I'm only wanting eggs for myself and immediate family and don't want to fall in the giving/selling eggs to people trap and them expecting eggs every week, I want it to be an hobby/fun not a job/grind so I'd be looking at 6, 7 maximum but you tell me

 

[sassysarah]

2 square feet per hen I heard. My coop is a 4X4
And it holds my 10 hens fine

 

[sassysarah]

Plus there is much more room because mine has a roosting bar.

 

[Clayman88]

So my 6x3 would be fine for my 6 or 7 hens at most.

 

[Boone Farm]

So my 6x3 would be fine for my 6 or 7 hens at most.

Make sure you have 10" to a foot of roosting space per bird so as long as you have the roosting bar going on the 6' length or two bars on the 3' length you should be good.

Run space can be important if they aren't being let out to free range. I'd concentrate on that more than coop space outside of the 10" of roosting per bird.

 

[sassysarah]

So my 6x3 would be fine for my 6 or 7 hens at most.

The most hens I would do, would be 10-12. Plus there will be a lot extra room of you add a roosting bar.

 

[Clayman88]

Make sure you have 10" to a foot of roosting space per bird so as long as you have the roosting bar going on the 6' length or two bars on the 3' length you should be good.

Run space can be important if they aren't being let out to free range. I'd concentrate on that more than coop space outside of the 10" of roosting per bird.

I was thinking maybe one across the 6ft and one across the 3ft.

 

[Clayman88]

The most hens I would do, would be 10-12. Plus there will be a lot extra room of you add a roosting bar.

Yeah I was thinking 7 max.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I would make it as big as your space will allow, more room is better 2 sq ft per bird is what the battery hens get, bare minimum. You want happy chickens. I would not get more than 4-6 in your 6x4 coop, go bigger. I have never once looked back at something and wished I had ade it smaller.
Good Luck

Gary

 

[Clayman88]

Make sure you have 10" to a foot of roosting space per bird so as long as you have the roosting bar going on the 6' length or two bars on the 3' length you should be good.

Run space can be important if they aren't being let out to free range. I'd concentrate on that more than coop space outside of the 10" of roosting per bird.

Would 6x8ft be ok for say 7 hens?