how much space per chicken

[Davaroo]

Sorry Dave... I didn't mean anything personal with my comment about yourmath skills....

Well, my math skills are... rusty. I screw it up now and then. No foul, none called, friend.

 

[karlamaria]

Quote: This, sir, depends on where you live. I know a lot of folks up north that have their birds cooped up for most of the winter. That's even what happened with us in Maryland. They'd spend only a few hours outside when it was cold and the wind was blowing.

When I watch my flock in the coop, I cannot imagine having more birds (14 in 56 sq ft). I think more crowded conditions invite fights, featherpicking and boredom. And mine weren't even fully grown when I observed them spend most of the day in there.

I can see the need for a commercial farmer to have more birds per sq ft for business viability reasons, but for most of the folks here on Backyard Chickens, it is a hobby; notice the word "backyard" in there? And these birds grow into pets that we would like to lead a good life. You could argue that a dog could be held in a 3x5 kennel without exercise all day, but would you?

yep, well said. Chickens need lots of room in winter to stay indoors when it's cold. Here we get up to 40 below! No way am I stuffing birds in a small box so they peck each other out of boredom and cramped quarters. I have a few girls who love going out side, but when it's 35 to 50 degree's out they sit on there roosts in there coop. They have a roost out in the pen, but my girls love there clean coop and spend a good amount in there when it's cold out. We have a cpmpletly enclosed pen in the winter so it's dry and wind proof, but they still love there coop. 1 or 2 square feet per bird is way to small for me,

 

[FirewifeJess]

I've read through this thread and am honestly wondering if I need to get rid of a bird or three. I have 15 chicks and plan to put them in a 5x7 shed. I do know I need to get the next boxes off the ground to make more floor space for the full 5x7 to be usable...I will mount those to a wall to do that. I have 3 roost bars in there, totaling 19' of roost space, so I know that is enough for 15 birds. There is also a "shelf" about halfway up the back wall of the coop which is approximately 2x5', which is technically more space for them, correct? All in all I would say that my 15 girls will have approximately 45s/f of interior floor space plus a HUGE side yard to roam freely all day long. I'm positive that they'll each have at least 14s/f outside in the yard all day long but we do live in WA where it rains a lot. We will be covering about 1/3 of the run so the food and water stays fresh and dry, and they can stay outside under cover if it's raining. Can anyone who's done this before please let me know how you think this will work out?

 

[Reurra]

So if my coop is 9ft by 12 foot and my run is 6ft by 10 foot, is that enough for 10 chickens?

I think thats 216sq ft of coop and 120 run space.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

So if my coop is 9ft by 12 foot and my run is 6ft by 10 foot, is that enough for 10 chickens?

I think thats 216sq ft of coop and 120 run space.

9x12 = 108 sq ft which is fine for 27 chickens per the 4 sq ft per bird rule

your run is 6x10 = 60 sq ft which could house only 6 chickens comfortably. Now if you would free range your chickens and they are not all day long closed up in the run this may work otherwise I would enlarge the run to twice the amount you have.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

I've read through this thread and am honestly wondering if I need to get rid of a bird or three. I have 15 chicks and plan to put them in a 5x7 shed. I do know I need to get the next boxes off the ground to make more floor space for the full 5x7 to be usable...I will mount those to a wall to do that. I have 3 roost bars in there, totaling 19' of roost space, so I know that is enough for 15 birds. There is also a "shelf" about halfway up the back wall of the coop which is approximately 2x5', which is technically more space for them, correct? All in all I would say that my 15 girls will have approximately 45s/f of interior floor space plus a HUGE side yard to roam freely all day long. I'm positive that they'll each have at least 14s/f outside in the yard all day long but we do live in WA where it rains a lot. We will be covering about 1/3 of the run so the food and water stays fresh and dry, and they can stay outside under cover if it's raining. Can anyone who's done this before please let me know how you think this will work out?

You'd have 3 sq ft. Are they large fowl or bantams? You can have more bantams per sq ft, I forget how much because I don't have them. I think even with large fowl this could work out if they are outside a lot and you don't have to coop them up for long periods at a time.

Make sure that the nestboxes aren't too high, or they will not use them, or they will use them to sleep in. What is the purpose of the shelf half way up the wall? If you would cover the run partially you could also put food and water outside so that it doesn't take up coop space. My experience with rain is that they don't mind the rain as long as there is not a lot of wind.

 

[mixitup]

Okay, so depending on the size of the chickens, I will have 3 Brahmas, 3 EO's and 5 Easter Eggers that I am picking up this weekend, if I build a chicken tractor that has a 5x10 pen, leading to a small coop, about 4x4, would that be big enough? Or, should I keep the Brahmas separate. I plan to use the Brahmas (1 roo, two hens) for breeding for meat. I have two outdoor pens that lead into separate rooms in the 'glorified shed' (actually a small barn). What do you all think my best option is? The EO's are juvenile pullets and the 5 Easter Eggers are (5 weeks old) unsexed.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

4x4 is way too small for 11 birds. I would put not more than 4 in there. Ditto for the run. Brahmas get very big so they take up even more room.

 

[mixitup]

Okay, so the Brahmas will be kept separately, not a problem. For the regular chickens then, I would need to expand the run to about 8x10 and have the coop about 32 sq ft, so about 5.5x6 or anything that measures up to that amount. What about two levels for the coop? Is that feasible?

 

[bairo]

Ah the old "how much space" question. I didn't even look and I'll bet there is at least one answer that says 4 sq ft. in the coop.

It's better to ask "How much space you got?"

Here's what you do: Decide how may you can keep in your space by following the rules - and then cut that number by at least a third.

The "Rules" as we have come to know them, are an amalgam of practices, mostly influenced by the commercial poultry business.

Chickens are active creatures and need room. In days gone by (before the advent of intensive management practices), 10-20 sq ft/bird was considered just adequate. Inside, In the areas where they will roost, lay and then get back outside where they belong - that can be minimal: 4-5 sq ft or so. But if they are to spend any time inside, then that will not do.

Outdoors, it was always considered that 500/acre was tops. That means a minimum of 87.5 sq ft/bird. To give them less is tempting fate and will ensure that they turn whatever outdoor area you provide them into a moonscape.

Most of this has to do with waste, otherwise known as filth. The more you crowd them, the more you must become a waste managnement specialist - never on anyone's fun list. They also get testy with one another when ovecrowded and begin doing heathenlike things to one another.

Bottom line, give them as much as you can... more, in fact, than you think they need, since you'll be under the influence of "chicken want-itis" in the beginning. Overcrowding is the number one cause of disease and other maladies. All preventable, mind you, if you but refrain from cramming as many chickens as possible into the available space.

My $.02 worth? Consider the 4 Sq Ft Rule as one to throw out.

Ahhh...finally someone with the same beliefs as me. So well said!!!!

I have always told people that 5 inside and 15 outside (ONLY IF THEY CAN FREE RANGE 3-4 TIMES PER WEEK FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS EACH TIME) If they have to be fenced in all the time and you dont want some barren landscape and chickens deprived of greens and bugs that they need, then you are looking at 100 sq./ft. per bird outside.