Is this coop and pen going to be large enough for 4 hens?

[skatcatla]

I'm getting nervous about the coop and pen I purchased. I was only expecting 3 hens, and it seemed a bit cozy even for three. I'm worried that with 4, it will be too cramped.

The good news is that because our climate here is so mild, they wouldn't have to all be in the coop all the time. Also, I'd probably let them wander around the yard for a few minutes in the morning and the evening (maybe 1 hour total) but the rest of the time they;d be safe in their run.

Do you think this is big enough for them?

http://www.waremfginc.com/products.asp?p=01491

 

[Poison Ivy]

I have the one that has the door on the front that opens to the side. I have had two silkies in it and they had just enought room. I also use it to hold my 2 week old chicks in it. If you already bought it then you might want to enclose the bottom to add more room. Someone posted on here the same cage and they added to it. Are you going to have bantam or standards in it? good luck

 

[skatcatla]

They are all standard sizes..and yes I've already bought it.

When you say enclose the bottom, what do you mean? Right now the pen is attached, so I don't know if enclosing the bottom would work..unless you mean I just remove the whole front of the hutch altogether? I guess that would give them an extra couple of square feet..

 

[Poison Ivy]

Mine sits up high on 4 legs that are about 2' tall. Not sure how tall yours is. If you remove the front door can you raise it up and add more room under under it? Did you buy the run too? If not I would just modify it and make it bigger/taller. If I an find the post of the one the gy modified I post it for you.

 

[CutestChickenFarmer]

Hi, I have the same coop, but it's in a 10' x 10' dog kennel. There is now a tarp that goes across the top and down the back between the kennel and fence.

I plan on cramming 4 standards and one bantam in there when they get old enough to leave their brooder (they're 3 weeks old today).

I will only have them in there at night; first thing in the morning, I'll be letting them out to fool around in their pen, and then in the evening, will stuff them back into their coop.

This will only be in place until late winter - if that long - because I'm going to come up with a bigger place for them. Even though they'll only be in there at night, stuffing 5 chickens in there just isn't practical.

Susan

 

[Wolfpacker]

My set up is very similar to Susan's. I have the same "Chicken Hutch," but my run is 12 x 8. I also have another little coop with a detached egg box. I have 5 dominiques who are spending the night in the hutch. They're 10 weeks old and have plenty of room right now. Unless they get awfully big, I don't foresee any problem.

 

[CutestChickenFarmer]

Wolf, so your chickens aren't packed in there like sardines? I'm imagining them in there with feathers poking out through the hardware cloth. I've been concerned about it, but yours are comfy in there for overnights? I really need some reassuring!

Susan

 

[speckledhen]

It really depends on the size of your standards. There are standards and then there are gargantuan standards! If I was using that hutch, and had to put my Blue Orps in it, it might hold two, no more. If one was my Blue Orp cockerel, Suede, I have my doubts anyone else could fit in there with him, LOL. And that's if they didn't have to be locked up inside for a day due to bad weather. If you go by 4 sq ft per average standard size chicken, you can do the math, but also, go with your gut instinct and how your birds do in that space. The sq ft rules are guides and sometimes, they just need more room, especially if that space is taken up with feeders, waterers, nestboxes, feed storage, etc.

 

[Wolfpacker]

Right now my five can fit in there VERY comfortably. They can turn around, they climb all on top of each other, they jump up and down, then they all settle down for the night. They're not crowded in the least. There's probably room for at least 2 or 3 more, all lined up on the roost. They were born on May 20. I don't know how big they'll get, but even if they double in size, they should have room.

But I'm not using the egg box that came with it. I have a separate little hutch that I built last year for my 3 RIRs. It has a very private egg box with its own door I can open to get the eggs. I have the egg box closed off right now. They never even try to roost in there, although they do hang out int there sometimes during the day. At dusk, they always go up into the hutch. Never had any problem with them doing otherwise.

 

[silkiechicken]

I think it will be fine only if it is their night coop and they are outside all day long. If they had to be in there all day I think it would be stressful as it's kind of small.