Need Information Please!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MEchickenfarmer33]

i am about to hatch chicks and i have 8 chickens already i am wondering if all 11 survive which will give me 19 chickens is it enough room in an 8 x 4 coop????? they are outside most of the time and all they do is sleep in the coop

 

[chickenlovefever]

I don't think so. Thats an awful small roosting place. Its good that they are free range, but I think it would be quie crammed at night.

 

[ChickenAl]

That is tight for 19 chickens. You need about 3-4 sq.ft. per bird. That comes to 57 to 76 sq. ft. and you only have 32 sq. ft. to work with.

Hope this helps.

 

[hcppam]

Try to figure at least 2sq feet per bird.

 

[ranchhand]

You're in Maine?

Most climates, 4 sq. feet per chicken in a coop is recommended. In Maine, where they may not want to spend as much time outside in winter, I would double that just for the 8 you have. I certainly wouldn't recommed 19 in there! Feather picking and cannabilism come to mind, as well as a big need for super ventilation.

 

[ECBW]

I believe that birds to sf ratio is not directly linear. If there is only one bird, the coop should not be 2 sf but rather 9 sf (3x3). For the second bird, adding 3 sf. After that, 2 sf then 1 sf until 2 sf is reached. I have never seen this approach, just my own experience.

But if possible, more space is always better.

For your situation, it is not ideal but not impossible if there are enough roosting space. I am running low ratio at barely 2 sf due to chicken math. But with roosting space of 1.3 ft per bird and access to run year round, they are doing well.