Overcrowded?

Tinkey71

Songster
Nov 8, 2018
107
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126
Florida
I have a prefab chicken coop that is rated for 12-15 chickens, I know 15 refers to if you have smaller breed of chickens. I have Rhode Island Reds, (12) and 1 Americana( rescue) in the coop
They just reached 18 weeks and I recently moved the coop and I’m worried they’re overcrowded, all of the sudden the coop looks stuffed with chickens! I don’t know if this is because I moved it or they got bigger. They should be laying any day so I don’t want this to offset their laying
 
when I first started my little flock, I bought one of those tractor supply coop kits, said it was good for 6 chickens, once we got it together and I got my 6 little ones, I looked at that thing and pictured them all in there when they were grown, told hubby that wasn't happening, I needed a bigger coop and run.. we built a 8 x 8 with a matching size run, I had 12 in there and I considered that to small. So now they are getting a 8 x 24' coop with a run that I am not exactly sure how big it's going to be, but I know it's going to be more than enough for them.:love
 
I'll jump right to the end without needing to get the answers to size questions.
Yes. Your coop is too small.
Every single one of the pre-fab, RTA coops you can order on-line are far too small for the number of chickens they are "rated" for. By a very large margin. And the "run" that is included is a horrible joke.
You will want to either get going on building a real coop or attach a secure run to your current coop that will serve as an addition to the coop. You will never close the pop door and will allow your chickens to access the run at will. Hence the need for it being SECURE.
Good luck!
 
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I'll jump right to the end without needing to get the answers to size questions.
Yes. Your coop is too small.
Every single one of the pre-fab, RTI coops you can order on-line are far too small for the number of chickens they are "rated" for. By a very large margin. And the "run" that is included is a horrible joke.
You will want to either get going on building a real coop or attach a secure run to your current coop that will serve as an addition to the coop. You will never close the pop door and will allow your chickens to access the run at will. Hence the need for it being SECURE.
Good luck!
:goodpost:
 
The problem when they claim "rated for 12-15 birds" is they're assuming you're keeping birds in factory farm conditions, that is, stuffing every inch of space with bird.

For your flock a 6x10 shed would probably be a good size for a coop, give or take a little depending on your climate and run space.

Just because you can fit 6-8 people in an average bedroom doesn't mean that anyone wants to live like that.
 
Yep, much like one size fits all. It sounds dreamy but it just isn't true.:(
The problem when they claim "rated for 12-15 birds" is they're assuming you're keeping birds in factory farm conditions, that is, stuffing every inch of space with bird.

For your flock a 6x10 shed would probably be a good size for a coop, give or take a little depending on your climate and run space.

Just because you can fit 6-8 people in an average bedroom doesn't mean that anyone wants to live like that.
 
The problem when they claim "rated for 12-15 birds" is they're assuming you're keeping birds in factory farm conditions, that is, stuffing every inch of space with bird.

For your flock a 6x10 shed would probably be a good size for a coop, give or take a little depending on your climate and run space.

Just because you can fit 6-8 people in an average bedroom doesn't mean that anyone wants to live like that.
Exactly!
There are many cautionary tales in chicken keeping.
The most important thing to remember is that prefab coop manufacturers grossly exaggerate how many birds their buildings can reasonably house. THEY LIE!!!!
I've never known a producer to advertise accurate numbers.
If someone can prove me wrong, I would gladly accept the education.
You can fit a lot of dead chickens into one but live healthy chickens need much more space. The worst part about those huts is that they are overpriced at best and poorly made at worst.
Additionally, if one tries to cram the number of birds that they advertise in there, the ventilation is sadly inadequate to an extreme degree. The result will often be a respiratory illness.
 
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