New to Chickens in Arizona

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[AbzRocka]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
If the package states it can hold 8-10, it can probably hold 2. And the run can hold one. Those pre-fabs are marketed to those who just don't know better because they look cute and, hey, how much space can a chicken possibly need?

Thank you for the information. I will throw up a picture of the coop once we decide to expand. Opinions from ya'll who have done this before is greatly appretiated. Hopefully we can avoid some of the newb errors (like buying a prefab in the first place it sounds.)

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hi and welcome to BYC! We're so glad you joined us! Congratulations on your new chicks! If you have any questions about them please feel free to ask, there's always somebody around more than happy to help.

 

[AbzRocka]

penny is absolutely right, they always exaggerate the number of birds it can hold.Maybe if they were all steam rollered flat and stacked on each other. But living, breathing birds should have 4-5 sq.feet per bird (bantam breeds could fit with the lower number)in the coop excluding the roost bars and nest boxes.

Chickens hate to be crowded, in extreme circumstances they can resort to cannibalism.

Allow 10 sg.feet of space per bird in the outdoor run.

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
If the package states it can hold 8-10, it can probably hold 2. And the run can hold one. Those pre-fabs are marketed to those who just don't know better because they look cute and, hey, how much space can a chicken possibly need?

So here is a pic of the coop that states should fit 8-10. It is 3.5 by 6 feet at the bottom.

 

[DobieLover]

So here is a pic of the coop that states should fit 8-10. It is 3.5 by 6 feet at the bottom.View attachment 2131088

The bottom is the "run". The coop is the place they go to roost for the night. That tiny little box in the upper left corner. No. It will never properly house 8-10 birds. Sorry.
So based on your measurement of the bottom, the 'coop' is 3.5x3 but part of that is the nest box area, yes? So that means something less than 10.5 sq ft. At 4 sq ft per bird requirement, that's 2-3 birds. They also need about a linear foot of roosting space per bird.
The companies that sell those things should be sued for false advertisement...

 

[AbzRocka]

But its cute though

 

[AbzRocka]

Whelp our two little chicks are now in their home. I really wish there would be room for just two more. I’ll be adding more room to the run myself but extending the coop is going to be not as straightforward. Again thanks for all your feedback. Definitely some lessons learned.