how much space per chicken

[Nuttz]

Is 60sq ft give or take 4sq ft to little for 7-8 full size birds

 

[troub]

to answer your question if 60 square feet is enough for 7-8 chickens, the answer is yes. be sure to let them either free range or have an enclosed run for them scratch and stretch their wings though.

 

[Nuttz]

The 60 is a enclosure they would stay in all year they only come out in fall after I'm done with the garden until spring when I plant it

 

[troub]

I have an 8x8 coup for 8 chickens. about 3 feet of the end of it has a wall with chicken wire separating it with a door to keep my supplies etc. It seems like the perfect size to me. Overcrowding them can cause stress and get them picking on each other. I leave the pop door open for them to come and go into a secure 10x10 foot run which has a partial roof on it to protect them from snow and rain when they are out in the fresh air. I like them in the run when I can't be there to keep an eye on them. I let them free range when I can be there to watch over them. They seem the healthiest when they can free range, scratch and forage. unfortunately that can't always be the case when there is threat of fox, hawk etc., during those times and in bad weather, I just let them have access to the run which seems to be sufficient. They get bored, so sometimes I will put an old broken chair or something in there for them to hop up on and investigate and that keeps them happy for hours! The important thing is that you keep the area clean, provide fresh clean water and food. an occasional treat is ok, but don't go overboard. I did and regretted it. I was giving too much treats and they were not getting the nutrients they needed by eating enough of their layer feed. that led to soft shells, and not as healthy birds, I quickly learned the error of my ways and added oyster shell to the feed and cut way back on the treat to just a little at the end of the day and the chickens looked healthier and their eggs returned to normal. Don't skimp on the space in my opinion, do it right the first time and you won't regret it later. As far as cleaning, I can stand in my coop and that makes the world of difference. It is an easy clean and having vinyl flooring under the wood shavings I put down makes clean up a snap. Don't make your area difficult for you to move around in because you will not want to clean it as much and then your birds won't be healthy and happy. Healthy, happy birds give nice healthy eggs and plenty of them!! I hope this helps

 

[SClaire]

The 60 is a enclosure they would stay in all year they only come out in fall after I'm done with the garden until spring when I plant it

For me 60 square foot would be a touch on the small side.

I would recommend your chicken pen is at least 15 square foot each, so of six hens you would need at least 90 square foot.

Do they have access to anywhere else during the day?

 

[PapaChaz]

For me 60 square foot would be a touch on the small side.

I would recommend your chicken pen is at least 15 square foot each, so of six hens you would need at least 90 square foot.

Do they have access to anywhere else during the day?

you realize that post is a year ago, right?

and reading back through this thread has been hilarious. One person says you need 87 1/2 square feet per bird, and that the 4 feet per bird 'rule' comes from commercial operations......

that's absolutely ridiculous and hilarious all on top of each other. Obviously never seen a commercial egg laying operation. Those birds are 3 or 4 in a cage.......87.5 sq ft per bird

 

[SClaire]

you realize that post is a year ago, right?

and reading back through this thread has been hilarious. One person says you need 87 1/2 square feet per bird, and that the 4 feet per bird 'rule' comes from commercial operations......

that's absolutely ridiculous and hilarious all on top of each other. Obviously never seen a commercial egg laying operation. Those birds are 3 or 4 in a cage.......87.5 sq ft per bird

haha whoops- I guess I missed that

87 1/2 feet is pretty spacious, I'm sure my girls would love that amount of space

 

[bruceha2000]

haha whoops- I guess I missed that

87 1/2 feet is pretty spacious, I'm sure my girls would love that amount of space

Depends on what they are used to! My chickens used to have the run of the place from the time I opened the barn door (auto door lets them out of the "stall converted to coop" into the barn alley) until they put themselves in the coop at night. Self limited to approximately 45,000 sq ft around the house plus 11,000 sq ft behind the barn.

Lost 1 hen to a fox in late April last year. Didn't do anything and no losses the rest of the year. Lost another (almost 2) at same time this year. So I fixed the NOT fox proof but at least now a decent (I hope) deterrent fence around the barnyard behind the barn (the 11K area). Now if we aren't home they are restricted to that space.

You would think they were stuffed in a cage! Soon as we get home they are all at the front, running their little tin cups over the bars yelling "Jailer, LET US OUT!!!!" You would THINK that 1,200 sq ft per bird would be PLENTY. Of course since I got the 7 new chicks in June, being raised by 2 hens, the older girls have to share so they "only" have 690 sq ft each. But I guess it is all about "we USED to go here and here and here and here" and they think they NEED to still do that. They do have their favored "hide from the high sun" places and mostly those are outside their "confinement" area. My chickens do NOT know just how good they have it.

 

[Cmyers]

I'm looking to expand my flock but I would like to do my research first. What is a general rule to follow for coop size and run size per chicken?

 

[bruceha2000]

ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM per "the book" is 1 foot of roost, 2 square feet floor space in the coop and 4 in the run per bird. AND I would consider that animal cruelty. You can do it in the coop if they are NEVER confined to it other than when they are sleeping because they won't use the floor then anyway. The 1' roost space seems OK since my birds (originally 12, down to 9, now at 16) have 24' of roost at 4' (two 12' parallel, 18" apart) and 8' at 2' off the floor. They don't come close to spreading out evenly on the 4' high roosts and only use the 2' high one to stage onto the 4' high ones. They sleep in groups fairly close together with large gaps of open space even in the summer.

Put yourself in their feathers. A full sized large fowl chicken will take up about 1 square foot just standing around. 4 sq ft is a "block" 2' x 2'. Open the wings and the spread is pretty much "wall to wall" You are bigger than a chicken so let's say you can have the same "wing room" - 6'x6' for a 6' tall person. That is 36 square feet. Solitary confinement cells "generally measure from 6 x 9 to 8 x 10 feet" (*). That is 150% to 220% of your allotted "human run" space. Now imagine living in that space and imagine getting along with your flock mates who also have 4 square feet. Yes you can all move around in the total area but it is pretty tight quarters.

So MY opinion is "you can't give them too much room"

IF they have access to a much larger area than the "4 square feet per bird run" for a good part of the day, the minimum run size is OK for times when they need to be confined. And if they have access to the coop (which is usual and where the nest boxes are) there is that additional space to spread out the bodies. But if they don't get out of their run, go BIG!

* http://solitarywatch.com/facts/faq/