I know the 2 square feet rule, but how small is REALLY too small?

[youngjedi32002]

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Ah, Vermont and off-grid! That sounds like a dream to me! Pitbulls and chickens, I have a Pitbull that is terrified of the chickens and has been since they came as day-old chicks! It is the funniest thing! When I would put them in a pen in the kitchen when it was time to clean the brooder, she would flee upstairs and hide! Now she is very happy to sit by their coop and guard them, as long as she doesn't have to interact with them! If she sniffs the coop, she usually gets a peck on the nose! We all know who rules this roost!!! I have a pretty good size run for 4 hens (5.5' by 2.5') that I am currently building a 3' extension for but someday I want to move to a place with a fenced-in yard (aw, heck, I wanna move to Vermont!), so they can free range during the day when I am home. Don't know how the dog will react! She may never go out again! LOL

 

[jamband]

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Well, that's nice for him, that is indeed a commonly-spouted theory, however I would question how much experience he necessarily has in the issue in cold climates... that is generally a recipe for frostbite and cannibalism, IME.


Pat

I in no way mean to question your experience Pat, just passing along info I thought would be helpful for others. He has a degree in sustainable poultry, has managed huge poultry operations, taught in sustainable Ag program at 3 major colleges including one in a quite cold climate and travels the coutry educating now. Again I dont mean to question you just think his info comes with valid backing and wanted to share it.

 

[pitbulls and chickens]

Patandchickens is 100% right about the space requirements and "professional opinion"! Too little space is a prescription to picking and cannibalism(this is horrible to witness or to find the carnage!) and the humidity issue speaks for itself. Our girls have extra space as they spend almost every day in the coop Nov-March in Northern Vermont winters. They instinctively sleep together for warmth with an odd one out occasionally sleeping in a nest box. None have frozen or suffered frostbite, with the right breed for your climate, you cant have too much space! Anyone with experience will tell you this. They live as a flock constantly. Togetherness equals survival for chickens...ignore some of the "self proclaimed expert testimonials" and use your own common sense. You will find all the support youll need on BYC from a group who loves what their doing and happy to help!

 

[maclady]

Ok. Here is my $0.02. Save your money and don't do a metal bldg unless it is absolutely last resort. Missouri is hot summers and cold winters if I remember correctly. You will bake your chicks in the summer and freeze them in winter. That is even with doing modifications to the metal bldg which is going to cost. I have seen some really cool coops on here done with pallets that have been reused and other stuff. I hope you can eventually get your 8x8 bldg for your chickens. That would be great. I did like hubbys pick for the coop. Pretty cool looking. I only have 4 chickens and they are in a 4x4 coop. I wish now I had made it bigger for them. We scrounged up lumber and also bought stuff to do it. I wish you luck and can't wait to see what you eventually do for your coop and run.

I just had a thought--does your landfill area take in lumber and stuff from building sites? If it does you may be able to scrounge a lot of materials that way. It is how I got some lumber to build a garden shed last year-just had to pull some nails from otherwise perfectly good boards.

 

[jamband]

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perhaps this is more an issue of how you raise chickens......yes they need extra space if they are cooped all the time or a lot......I find that in itself to be somewhat non-chicken like... I know folks in upper vt raising 75 birds and they have 75 ft.....more than happy because all they do is sleep and lay there.