How much room do they need???

[CKfarm22]

They seem happy with 6 sq feet in the main box. But I admit the run needs to be a little larger. What about going taller with more roosting poles?

Just because they seem “happy” doesn’t mean they are, it’s also not healthy to have such tight living quarters

 

[Tundrawooky]

I live in North pole Alaska, interior.

 

[3KillerBs]

I live in North pole Alaska, interior.

If you put your location into your profile people can give you better-targeted advice.

@Alaskan and @Ted Brown are our cold-climate specialists.

 

[Ted Brown]

Follow the advice already given; in spades during long cold windy winters.

@Alaskan provides great advice to your specific area.

 

[aart]

@Alaskan provides great advice to your specific area.

Yes, she does!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[Alaskan]

I live in North pole Alaska, interior.

When I googled it showed your usual lows as just -20F. I thought it got down to -40F and such in North Pole???

Anyway... if your lows are usually about -20F (usually, ignore short drops), then you don't have to stress that much.

Just read through the article that has previously been mentioned (and is in my signature line. If on a phone turn the phone sideways).

If you get steady temps way below -20F in the winter, I would suggest making two coops, one for winter and one for summer.

Coop 1. A way bigger summer coop, or you could have a summer only tractor that is moved every few days. A tractor can have much smaller square footage since the chickens are distracted by new grass and bugs. Moving the tractor means they always have a green play space instead of boring dirt only.

Coop 2. Your winter coop. For only 3 hens, if you do NOT run your cars in the garage, they could be kept in a garage coop. They could stay in a large roomy, walk in summer coop, and then if/when a stretch of -40F is forecast, bring them into a smaller garage coop until the temperatures are -20 or warmer.

I am guessing the garage stays around 0F? If your garage is heated, you don't want to bring them from 50F to -20F... that is a bit harsh of a drop.

For a temporary garage coop, that is used for no more than a week at a time, you could probably get by with 4 square feet per chicken of coop space (so coop needs to be 3x4 or 4x4), and then since the run would only be for a week, a 5x5 run would do.... but bigger would be much better. With such a tight space you probably will also need to supply them with distractions... leaves, hay, veggies, crickets from the pet store....

Also, if they are there for longer than a week, it needs to be bigger.

You will also have to figure out ventilation issues.

Remember that a small closed up space with little ventilation will:
1. Make them sick, give them respiratory infections
2. Increase the risk of frostbite due to higher humidity
3. Greatly increase the risk that they start to eat each other...literally

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I dont think coop space is as much as a problem as run space my birds literally just sleep in the coop they need room to roam while not in the coop...you dont wanna know how small a coop i had with 5 birds in it...now its just one but its a tiny coop barely fits a rooster now

 

[Tundrawooky]

Good advice thanks! We do get routing cold snaps of-40 and -50 that last for weeks. My garage is +50 during the winter. Would the birds get sick if I kick them out to peck sunflower seeds out of the snow?

 

[saysfaa]

I dont think coop space is as much as a problem as run space my birds literally just sleep in the coop they need room to roam while not in the coop...you dont wanna know how small a coop i had with 5 birds in it...now its just one but its a tiny coop barely fits a rooster now

Sometimes one gets lucky and gets chickens that all like each other, are all happy with the pecking order, and like to snuggle together.

It isn't too much different than people on a long road trip. Some people can enjoy a ten hour day in a Scion iQ with three other adults if the other people are smallish, don't squirm much, and like to talk about chickens. Other people couldn't tolerate it no matter who the other people are. Or they squirm a lot and can't help singing 100 bottles of beer on a wall. Off key. Endlessly.and there doesn't exist three other people who would let them back in at the first bio break stop.

 

[Tundrawooky]

I guess what I've been told is all wrong, the old people up here told me I needed a small coop so the body heat would keep them warm, and to just give them snow mixed with cayenne pepper to keep em warm