Need Some Help

[minisambora]

Three years ago I purchased my first batch of chickens, I really wasn't familiar with chickens but I bought a 24 square foot coop that has two egg boxes, and four rhode island red hens. They started laying quickly and were extremely consistent in their egg laying. I loved them and having their eggs so much I even went door to door to collect signatures to change the home owners association rules to allow chickens after someone complained even though my own neighbors didn't even know we had them. Anyways unfortunately during this last winter one of my hens started pecking and drew blood and severely injured one of the other hens. I took the hurt hen and put her by herself, but then the bully did the same thing to another. So I got rid of the bully hoping it would help. After every one was healed I put the remaining three together only to see the third one peck again, so I got rid of him and kept the two injured birds which have since recovered and I just decided I would be ok with two. Unfortunately, one of them has not layed a single egg since her injury so it is time to get rid of both and start over. Originally my plan was to get four new ones and debeak them but after reading I just don't think that is what I want to do. So I decided to get a bigger home for the chickens by putting the existing coop in a 65 square foot penned area. So here is the deal I would really like to get 6 chickens instead of four which would give each chicken double the space they previously had but I have read even the could still have issues and I really don't want to deal with it. So does anybody have any advice is it big enough for 6 to not have to worry about it or should I just get four, although I have read even at four in that space can be problematic. And I will say now that I am aware I will make sure there is more things to hold their attention no matter how many I get. So that is my first question 4 or6? My second one is I would like to put more laying boxes in the coop no matter how many chickens I get but my problem is that given the current design the additional boxes would only be accesible by me getting in the coop which doesn't sound like fun so I thought about making the two existing boxes bigger (arms length) so my question is will this be enough or do I need to build more actual boxes. I apologize for the long question but thank you in advance.

 

[HEChicken]

Whew! Try breaking your text up into paragraphs next time - it will make for easier reading and you will get more people reading through it and answering.

The usual recommendation is 4 sq.ft per bird inside the coop along with 10 sq.ft per bird of run space. At 24 sq.ft, your coop *should* be able to accommodate 6 birds - as long as they have adequate run space. It doesn't sound as though your original four had any run space? If that is the case, that may be the problem. Your current 65 sq. ft of run would also work for 6 chickens, so that sounds like a good number.

I wouldn't debeak them - that is something the commercial hatcheries do because they keep their hens in such close confinement. The ideal is to give them enough space that they don't need to peck one another. For that reason, I'd probably recommend that even though you technically have enough space for six, perhaps four is a better number, to avoid having those issues again in the future.

 

[RonC]

The two nest boxes should be adequate for 6 chickens. They will share them. My coop is only 16 sq ft for my 6 chickens. The only time they are in it is when they are sleeping. They come out no matter what the weather is doing. They used to get under the coop when it was raining but I added a roof to the run. It gives them some shade and protection from the rain. My run is 80 sq ft so they have plenty of room outside. They do get to roam the yard for a while everyday which gives them a little more freedom.