just want to say how much I LOVE this site! especially learning about coops

[junior67]

so on a FB page I am on someone asked how many chickens in a 4x5 coop with 4 nesting boxes and 20x5 run........... They are building it and have plans........

The answers there SHOCKED me!!!!! Here they are:

I would say 10 to 12. The coop itself is 20 Sq ft. minus the square footage of the boxes. You want at least 1 square foot per bird and that's a bit crammy. ( I swear she changed hers down from 20 after I corrected her.........)

Comfortably. 12 chickens. That's 10 sq ft per chicken.


I put up information that I learned from here so hopefully she follows that! I am always so shocked at answers I see on the FB pages. People saying in a 4x8 coop they keep 20-30+ chickens etc. I can only imagine how squished in I would have my chickens if I hadn't found this site!

 

[Flockincrazy]

Well I'm glad you found us. You should always ask away that's what we are here for

 

[junior67]

Well I'm glad you found us. You should always ask away that's what we are here for

Oh I do! I asked so many questions when building my coop last year. I was convinced to make it bigger (was doing a 4x8 and told to do at least an 8x8) which was a good thing since chicken math got me and now I have the space for them. I learned how to build an auto door, life saver, was helped with enough and proper ventilation, learned about poop boards (another life saver) and I am going to brood inside my coop this year because of what I learned here.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Oh I do! I asked so many questions when building my coop last year. I was convinced to make it bigger (was doing a 4x8 and told to do at least an 8x8) which was a good thing since chicken math got me and now I have the space for them. I learned how to build an auto door, life saver, was helped with enough and proper ventilation, learned about poop boards (another life saver) and I am going to brood inside my coop this year because of what I learned here.

First chicken math is definitely real I learned that the hard way thankfully I made my coop big enough I have 48hens and 8roosters in my main coop in my little coop I have 6 black Australorp chicks that are 4wks 3silkies that are 4wks and 3bantams that are 3wks old and looking to add more chicks my husband says I'm the crazy chicken lady instead of the crazy cat lady lol

 

[junior67]

First chicken math is definitely real I learned that the hard way thankfully I made my coop big enough I have 48hens and 8roosters in my main coop in my little coop I have 6 black Australorp chicks that are 4wks 3silkies that are 4wks and 3bantams that are 3wks old and looking to add more chicks my husband says I'm the crazy chicken lady instead of the crazy cat lady lol

LOL My husband knows I am adding more this year but I haven't told him how many. I think he may kill me when he finds out! He was the one that mentioned we should get chickens. He was thinking 4 (this is how many my neighbor had so that was why he was thinking that) I was thinking 8 since I had certain breeds that I wanted... well then I decided I wanted to add EE too so the 8 went to 10 (with his approval), 2 were roosters and 1 passed at 9 weeks. We kept 1 rooster and re-homed 1 so had 8. All along I said I was adding more this year but think he blocked that out. LOL He made comments about how he was "tricked" which i explained that I had said I was getting more this year. But I avoid the "how many more" question by saying that I ordered extras in case some don't make it or some are roosters again so i have what I want and plan to re-home the others, which is true I just never give a number.

He would DIE if I had 48 hens never mind 8 roosters.

 

[Starlord]

First chicken math is definitely real I learned that the hard way thankfully I made my coop big enough I have 48hens and 8roosters in my main coop in my little coop I have 6 black Australorp chicks that are 4wks 3silkies that are 4wks and 3bantams that are 3wks old and looking to add more chicks my husband says I'm the crazy chicken lady instead of the crazy cat lady lol

YES Chicken math is very real every thing x2 at least!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

@junior67 I am so glad you found us and joined. I don't think we have met, although I have seen you around the site. Soooo. Welcome from New Orleans.

 

[junior67]

@junior67 I am so glad you found us and joined. I don't think we have met, although I have seen you around the site. Soooo. Welcome from New Orleans.

Hi! Nice to meet you. Yup I have been all over the site for the past 14 months or so I think and reading before that.

 

[Flockincrazy]

LOL My husband knows I am adding more this year but I haven't told him how many. I think he may kill me when he finds out! He was the one that mentioned we should get chickens. He was thinking 4 (this is how many my neighbor had so that was why he was thinking that) I was thinking 8 since I had certain breeds that I wanted... well then I decided I wanted to add EE too so the 8 went to 10 (with his approval), 2 were roosters and 1 passed at 9 weeks. We kept 1 rooster and re-homed 1 so had 8. All along I said I was adding more this year but think he blocked that out. LOL He made comments about how he was "tricked" which i explained that I had said I was getting more this year. But I avoid the "how many more" question by saying that I ordered extras in case some don't make it or some are roosters again so i have what I want and plan to re-home the others, which is true I just never give a number.

He would DIE if I had 48 hens never mind 8 roosters.

He says he never says anything cause they make me happy and that's what he's here for

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We thought we had lost a bantam hen a while back. Last week I heard peeps from under my house and found my bantam hen and 15 chicks she had hatched. So my flock went from 10 to 25.
Yes chicken math is real