How much room to range?

[robynandbatman]

I'm still new to chickens and have learned a lot so far, but I'm unclear about how much room they need. I have 5 girls (different breeds) about 2 years of age. The coop is 5 x 7 feet enclosed with 1 nesting box (though I'm going to change it to 2 for easier access) and the space underneath plus 3 more feet enclosed, covered area. Their run is about 30 x 6 feet of our yard (wood pile in their to pick out bugs, few shrubs and grass plus a bare dirt area.
I have their pellets and water inside the coop and grit and oyster shells outside in the covered area. They get leftovers each night and the kids have been pulling the chickweed and dandelions in the yard to put in the coop each day. The girls LOVE chickweed!
What am I missing? Is this enough space for them? In the fall when the garden has been completely harvested, we'll let them out to clean that up and the raspberry patches and will do the same in the spring.

 

[thomasboyle]

From a "minimum" standard, you have plenty of space for your 5 girls. Keep providing them with fresh weeds and flowers etc, and they will love you! If your goal is to allow their run space to be all grassy, I don't think the grass will make it in a 30x6 run. The chickens will strip mine it in a few months. So if you want them to have grass, I would widen the run if you can to 12 or 18 feet. But they can and will be perfectly happy as is as long as they have stuff to pick through and don't get bored.

 

[thomasboyle]

From a "minimum" standard, you have plenty of space for your 5 girls. Keep providing them with fresh weeds and flowers etc, and they will love you! If your goal is to allow their run space to be all grassy, I don't think the grass will make it in a 30x6 run. The chickens will strip mine it in a few months. So if you want them to have grass, I would widen the run if you can to 12 or 18 feet. But they can and will be perfectly happy as is as long as they have stuff to pick through and don't get bored.

 

[MoonShadows]

You have more than enough room for them. Rule of thumb is 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 10 sq ft per bird in the run. There are other circumstances that come into play like weather, temperament and others, but you far exceed the minimums.You have more than 7 each in the coop and 36 each in the run. That's chicken heaven for them unless you get hit with chicken fever!

 

[robynandbatman]

uh oh, shouldn't have told me that! I can have MORE chickens??!!!!

 

[MoonShadows]