Is 4 sq ft really necessary?

[mountaintopchicken]

I have a lot more that 4 sq feet per bird, but I have been reconsidering this lately. If the birds have a covered run, they spend most of the time outside even in the depths of a frigid winter, if they are protected from the wind as well as the weather. So I've been considering cutting down on indoor space and concentrating on providing good covered, large roomy runs (with wind blocks in the winter). I think scratching outside in healthier than scratching inside due to dust, which builds up even if you keep a clean coop. And being outside gives them more sunshine, a more stimulating environment, I think it's just better for them. I think it would mean happier birds in the long run and be more bang for your buck in terms of building materials. I'm in the process of building and extending covered runs for my coops for the coming winter, even though I have a lot of indoor space for my birds.

But, if the runs are that protected from winter weather, does that mean they are still runs, or more like sun rooms that extend off the coop, thereby increasing indoor space?

 

[elmo]

Quote:
I'd say that "counts" more as indoor space in that it's space that will be used by the chickens during their waking hours. And I think you're on the right track to focus on giving chickens as much room as possible for their daytime activity.

The number that really matters, in my opinion, for the coop that's going to be used primarily for roosting isn't so much square footage as roost width. You could have plenty of square feet in the coop, but if you don't have enough roost space there will be more than the usual squabbling at bedtime.

The figure I've read is to aim for 1 foot of roost width per bird, all at the same height, if possible.