Opinions on our potential flock

[MamaP0912]

I have done quite a bit of research on breeds and we are definitely going to be getting barred rocks and wyandottes. 2 of each was the plan. But my husband and I both love the idea of having a silkie as well. Do they do well being the only silkie being with different breeds? We want the other 4 for they egg laying capabilities but the silkie would be more just for fun.

Also, we are turning an old dog house into the chicken coop. It is 4x3 feet and my husband will be building nesting boxes off of it to make it larger. For the majority of the day they will be in a 6x12 enclosure. Do you guys think this is enough space for 4-5 chickens?

Thank you so much! I am so excited to hear some advice!

~Amber

 

[gryeyes]

Welcome!

Silkies can be picked on by other chickens so I would keep an eye on that, but there's no reason not to have one in your flock. I do trim their crests so they can see better (which means they eat better and can get out of the way of higher ranking members of the flock).

Minimum recommended space inside a coop for chickens with a run or which are allowed to range freely during the day is 4 square feet per standard chicken. Minimum recommended square feet for a run is 10 per chicken. Your mileage may vary.

So.. 4 X 3 = 12, best for 3 chickens -but as I said, your mileage may vary. Adding nest boxes doesn't increase the available floor space because they should only be in them when laying, not sleeping there. Your silkie may sleep in one, though, as they often don't roost, not being able to fly. Roosts need to be higher than nest boxes.

For the run, 6X12 = 72 is enough space for 7.2 chickens. If your flock o' five don't exhibit crowding responses then this combination might be enough space for 'em. If they are shut up in the coop for extended periods other than hours of darkness, they may very well start to pick on the silkie, or each other. The coop is small.

Good luck!

 

[MamaP0912]

Thank you so much for your info!!!