Official BYC Poll - How Many Square Feet Per Chicken?

[aceintoledo]

Currently 3 chickens in a 25 sq ft coop with a 5x10 run. Getting 3 chicks in april, will probably expand these demensions. Trying to expand my own coop, looking for a couple acres and a fixer upper. In the toledo ohio area if anyone has or knows of something near me for sale! Need to get back to more simple times and ways.

 

[slvrphoenix]

1. Inside space per chicken Right now 2 ft.
2. Run space per chicken 8sq ft of covered area 6 sq ft uncovered
3. Free-range space per chicken 100 sq ft of yard area for now.

 

[Apyl]

I have 3 sp ft per bird in the coop, 34 sq ft per bird in the run, and 2 acres of my own surrounded by about 300 acres of woods all unfenced if i decide to do free range once I trust out dog enough to let the chickens out of the pen.

 

[billl2099]

coop 1, 7 hens, coop 8x8= 64 sqft, run 10x10 = 100sqft

coop 2, 21 chicks, coop 7x7=49sqft, run 10x20 = 200sqft

 

[ailurophile23]

Currently just over 20 sq ft per chicken inside the coop. Just over 3 acres per chicken for free range - but they have to share this with the horses. Eventually I will also have an enclosed, roofed run for them with about 50 sq ft per chicken. Obviously, I need more chickens!!

 

[foxinachickenhouse]

Inside coop: 3 square feet per chicken
Roost length: 1.5 linear feet per chicken
Enclosed covered run: 14 square feet per chicken
Inside electric fence: 78 - 210 square feet per chicken depending on season
Free range area on weekends: 1/3 acre

 

[jksranch]

right not near enough. I am building a 8x10 coop for the big chickens that are scrunched into a double dog run. My tiny batams are getting a 5x6 coop they are in an 4x8 run right now.

 

[Chicks on DL]

Per chicken

Inside coop: 3 sqr ft.
Outside coop: 6 sqr ft.
Run (gets moved each week): 16 sqr ft.

 

[Chicks on DL]

Alfalfa and Buckwheat grow pretty fast if you can fence off an area for about a week. It is also really nutritious.

 

[gale65]

Certainly shows that four square feet per bird is not the "recommended" number here on BYC. Thanks Nifty. In my opinion, if you have a chicken run, then you have a caged bird.  For example, 7L Farms is really nothing more than a concentrated animal farm. 

why are you picking on 7L farms? They have well over 4 sq feet per bird in the coops and they said they free range. And I think when most people think of a caged bird they think of a bird in a small cage where they can't fly. I can't imagine criticizing people who have to keep their birds in a run, such as people who have chickens in their backyard (which is, by the name of this site, what it's all about....) or people who, due to predators, can't leave their chickens running all over. I really hate it when people judge.