How many hens do I have housing for?

[lengel]

This is a semi-serious question. I'm going to my favorite fair this weekend and I don't want to overstock since winter is coming up.

I have one chicken coop (eight chicken capacity), one chicken tractor (six chicken capacity) and two kennels which could easily be enclosed as housing for about twelve chickens total - all empty. Everything but the coop is mobile and we have a 1/4 acre of hay to put everyone else on until the first snow.

We can't free range because of a major predator problem but I think that between the tractors, coop and enclosed kennels and some extra attention, we could manage and everyone would be happy and healthy. What would you do? Stock all of the living spaces? Leave a few for emergencies? I don't even know what those emergencies might be but maybe there would be one.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

OH ya you gotta save some room for emergencies because they ALWAYS come up. But I say make a few hospital cages out of 2x2's and chicken wire/hardward cloth. I made all mine...I am addicted to making them now! LOL My hubby taught me and I can't stop! The bottom screws on or off so you can let them forage a bit in the grass or keep them on plywood and shavings. I also just figured out how to keep the shavings in but have not taken a pic of that yet. It's just some old hardwood flooring I had gotten off freecycle screwed to the 2x2's

 

[silkiechicken]

I'd leave at least one empty. Winter stress or new additoins might require quarentine, and an extra small coop would be perfect for that. Plus, if it freezes, changing 4 buckets of water in 4 small coops can be a pain if it's away from the house or runing water.

 

[lengel]

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Oh very nice! Thanks for the idea.

 

[lengel]

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We're definitely bringing the chicken tractors up to the house this winter. They'll be enclosed by a six foot chain link fence so that the hens can get out during the day when the weather isn't too bad. We have a huge unfinished basement. I think I'm going to rearrange all of the crap we have down there so that I can set up a rest area for hens that aren't doing well.

Thanks for helping me think this through. Everyone is so happy right now. I'd hate to jeopardize the setup but I do want more hens.