Official BYC Poll: How Many Square Feet Per Chicken?

[rosemarythyme]

1. Inside space per chicken - 4 sq ft
2. Run space per chicken - 40 sq ft
3. Free-range space per chicken - 0

 

[RRM]

Currently;
1. Inside space per chicken (coop): 6 sq/ft
2. Run space per chicken (metal roof covered run): 24 sq/ft
3. Free-range space per chicken: They have access to 4.5+ acres but they really only venture out maybe a half acre from the coop and run so we’ll call it 2,722.5 sq/ft free-range space

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My numbers are a bit deceptive and could actually be inaccurate, since I am not certain of the exact dimensions of my coop. I believe our coop is 8x10 but may actually be 10x12. For the purposes of this poll I am going to assume the smaller size. We have 25 chickens. 80 sq ft ÷ 25 chickens gives them 3.2 sq ft per bird, which is a bit less than the 4 sq feet recommended and which I myself often tout when newbies ask. (If it's 10x12, then my chickens have 4.8 sq ft per bird.) However, this actually works for us at the moment. We have an established older flock of 12 EE/BL/BO hens and a roo, plus this spring's flock of 10 BA and two cockerels - one BA and a BJG. All these birds are calm, docile, non-aggressive, and get along well together. In addition to this, our roosting arrangements are a bit unconventional. Along one side above the nests there is a regular roost. Along the opposite wall we have installed a long pallet, perhaps 6x4'. This provides all the birds more than enough room to roost without crowding.

The birds spend their day in a fenced run of about half an acre (guessing) which contains an abundance of grasses and forbs for foraging. I have not calculated the square footage per bird in this run, but it's considerable. At about 3:00 in the afternoon they are released to free-range on three or four acres until dusk. Again, I can't calculate the square footage per bird. But because they are essentially free all day, I don't feel they are suffering any by not having the recommended allowance of "four square feet per bird" in their coop at night. There is no evidence of bullying, feather pulling or pecking.

 

[amk122284]

1. Everyday space in coop is about 8 sq ft per bird BUT I have it split so in the winter when we hit negatives and outside all day isnt an option I can expand the inside coop to 14 sq ft per bird.

2. Enclosed run there is 29 sq ft per bird.

3. We are going to be fencing in about 14,000 sq feet this summer as well for free ranging but only supervised which will be about 2,400 sq feet per bird lol. Our biggest predator problem are red tail hawks.

 

[JaeG]

We have bantams so our coop works out at around 2.3 sq/ft per bird and they have 11.6 acres to free range on but they don't stray more than 30-40 feet from their coop. Their coop is surrounded by trees which gives them protection from hawks which are the only predator we have to worry about. They don't have a run.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

1- Space inside per chicken: 12 square feet
2- Space in run per chicken: 48 square feet
3- Free range space per chicken: idk a lot I guess

 

[Morrigan]

It varies, depending on what meat birds I'm in the process of growing out.

Inside coop 5 to 10 sq. feet
Run/yard 150 to 300 sq. feet.

 

[AnimalGeek23]

Inside coop for current pullets are 6 sq ft per chicken, and they have about 631 sq ft to free range.

 

[RumneyRoost]

I’ve got 4sq ft per bird inside, 10 sq ft in the predator proof run.
The coop and run sit inside a fenced area that gives them 250 sq ft per bird.

I’ve only got 6 hens. My coop is maxed out. Our winters are too long to squish anymore in there.

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

We have 2 coops. Our 8 layers have 7 sq ft inside and 15 in their run. Our 14 younger girls have 5 sq ft inside and 15 in their run. They range on 2 acres on nice evenings.

Got a group in the brooder and we'll be at what I consider capacity once they move out. Which means building a new coop next spring, selling some chickens, or not getting any more birds.

Guess I better start planning that next coop.