I bought nine chicks and then bought a coop/run that would house nine chickens. So I thought. I did not know the 10sf rule at the time, I just went by what the coop builder said. I figured they'd know best, right? Well the coop is definitely large enough, but the run is 55 sf.
Two of them were possible roosters and I was able to sell them plus the silkie rooster's partner. Now I'm down to six. I know that I'm 5 sf "over" in regards to the number of chickens I have.
I won't let them free range when I am not home and probably not at all on really bad weather days or in Spring when there are tender shoots. Free range will be a treat. However, I am a sucker for happy chicks and they get all kinds of good stuff nearly every day including meal worms and heads of cabbage and lettuce in addition to scraps.
There is a possibility that I could add-on one side and make the run sort-of L-shaped at some point in the future. But for now, is there a way to keep them happy in this space?
I added a roost last night and they love it! However, it's a 1x4 on some cinder blocks and looks really ghetto in my cute coop in my cute yard. So, I have to find a way to add a roost that doesn't look really bad.
Any ideas on roosts for the run?
Two of them were possible roosters and I was able to sell them plus the silkie rooster's partner. Now I'm down to six. I know that I'm 5 sf "over" in regards to the number of chickens I have.
I won't let them free range when I am not home and probably not at all on really bad weather days or in Spring when there are tender shoots. Free range will be a treat. However, I am a sucker for happy chicks and they get all kinds of good stuff nearly every day including meal worms and heads of cabbage and lettuce in addition to scraps.
There is a possibility that I could add-on one side and make the run sort-of L-shaped at some point in the future. But for now, is there a way to keep them happy in this space?
I added a roost last night and they love it! However, it's a 1x4 on some cinder blocks and looks really ghetto in my cute coop in my cute yard. So, I have to find a way to add a roost that doesn't look really bad.
Any ideas on roosts for the run?
