Official BYC Poll - How Many Square Feet Per Chicken?

[KDK1]

3sf per bird in coop
30sf per bird in run

 

[Stephen518]

3. Free-range space per chicken - 4 acres - They free range an average of 3.5 hours a day.

1. Inside space per chicken - the actual coop is only large enough for them to sleep in comfortable and their 4 nesting boxes of course. They wake up and they go play in one of the two runs they have.
2. Run space per chicken - 8x16 & 10x8 they are connected together to form an 8 x 26 total for 12 hens.

 

[vclark321]

I have 3 square feet in the coop per chicken, 22 square feet in the run per chicken and a whole mess of free range space!

 

[Time-Out]

As of today:
1) Inside the coop: 15sqft & 3.5sqft (pair of bantams) & 1 chicken in the house. /chicken
2) Run space: None (not built yet) & 10sqft & none (my house doesn't come with a run). /chicken
3) Free range space: None & my garden (not measured, but not huge) & my garden.

 

[7L Farm]

My four sided coop has 80 sq ft & 150 sq ft run houses 10 hens. My 3 sided coop & run is 330 sq ft houses 16 hens & 1 roo. My new three sided coop is 140 sq ft & has 220 sq ft run no chickens yet but I'll hatch soon & keep 25 pullets & two cocks in it. I live on a farm & free range as well.

 

[mandelyn]

A little over 5 sq ft inside, which is how I answered the poll. The run gives them an additional 13 sq ft each, for a total of 18 sq ft per bird. The ducks have 22 sq ft each of indoor/outdoor space.

Baby chicks get at least 1 sq ft and increasing from there by age/size.

 

[bobbieschicks]

We are in the process of eliminating excess roosters & moving new chicks into the coop - weather permitting. My big chicken plan is to have 1 rooster to protect the flock and 12 layers for a dozen multicolored eggs a day However, I am still evaluating whether having a rooster meets our needs.


However, here's the breakdown of my current flock: which I believe at this moment in time consists of 5 roosters and 11 pullets LOL!

33 wk old WL roo (rehome- confirmed rooster)
33 wk old WL pullet - my only egg layer at present
29 wk old AC pullet - still not laying but believed to be pullet
29 wk old EE pullet (currently in broody/chick area until roosters are gone, she's hatched the Wellie & AM eggs, but hasn't started laying again yet)
four 20 wk old LO pullets - confirmed as one has laid an egg and they are all getting mated & combs are not rooster
20 wk old LO roo (rehome - confirmed rooster as he mates and crows)
20 wk old Silkie roo (keeping as lead rooster for now - confirmed as he mates & crows)
20 wk old Silkie pullet - not confirmed just suspect as she has been mated by the rooster and hasn't crowed yet
two 4 week old EE/WL mix chicks (inside house brooder until roosters leave, it's hard to know with these mixes, but based on comb look and attitude - we've called 1 pullet & 1 rooster - will rehome the rooster)
two 1 week old Wellie chicks (under broody until roosters leave, one looks like a pullet, one appears to have rooster lines - so that's how I'm calling them for now, time will tell - will probably keep the rooster)
1 week old AM chick (under broody until roosters leave, calling a pullet until comb shows otherwise - if this is a rooster I may keep him or the Wellie rooster, but not both)


You can also reply with more detail, specifically:

1. Inside space per chicken: 4.5 sq ft total footage, but there is a storage area that I use for new chicks under the roost - so closer to 4 sq ft per chick
2. Run space per chicken: secured run including under coop space: 13.5sq ft; alternating less secure enclosed garden run (divided it into half so that one year garden, next year chicken area): half is 54 sq ft; edited to add that I will be covering the secured run area this spring with a roof - so that will help extend their sheltered area. I also plan to move the little coop out of that area to increase space for moving around.
3. Free-range space per chicken: approximately 1 acre yard - but they don't get to go the entire perimeter, so more like 1/4 acre.
4. Here's a pic that shows the coop inside the secured run area and the half of the chicken garden area that they are allowed to play in for now. Next year the side you can't see because of the white shed will be their play area and this side will be the garden. Edited to also add that the white shed will be removed this spring and that area will be where the little coop will go for the little coop to house broody pullets once I fence it in, weather proof and predator proof it. And I'm still working on the chicken garden area fencing, gate & netting. But of course chickens are always a work in progress

 

[Chemguy]

4 sq, ft. in the coop, 25 sq. ft in the enclosed run

 

[Back on the Farm]

I have 3 sq ft per bird inside the coop. 5 sq ft per bird in the run and they free range during the day on the farm. They use the coop to roost at night and to lay eggs. The run is for when we mow the lawn - darn chickens won't move out of they way of the lawn mower.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I have 8 birds with a coop that is 40 square feet and a run that is 160 square feet. With a total of 200 square feet, that's 25 square feet per bird.