post your chicken coop pictures here!

[MeepBeep]

The coop is 4x4x4 - not tiny. I only have 8 chickens and don't need a larger coop.

You must accept that many would beg to differ, the generally accepted and recommend coop space is 4 sqft per bird, you have 16 sqft for 8 birds or about half the recommended coop space...

Of course these space recommendations are not written in stone, and can be fudged a bit, but they are based on decades worth of data, studies and experience...

Fact is many of the social and health problems people face with chickens can be directly linked back to inadequate housing or insufficient space, thus the strong feelings and concerns of many about housing design and available space...

 

[gpeters3]

My coop is 12 feet tall by 12 x 9 feet and with 22 birds (ok, 1 died so 21)and lots of powered ventilation it seems a little cramped to me. They have a 9 x 32 run as well with its own roosts. They seem to be ok but i have some butchering in my future plans. If i can butcher 2 toms (without getting a divorce) and at least 2 hens and one rooster (mimimum). I believe that the space will be adequate then and i will be able to afford the feed

 

[Sweetman1205]

If they free-range during the day i think a smaller coop is totally fine.

 

[MeepBeep]

If they free-range during the day i think a smaller coop is totally fine.

On average birds spend half of each day in the coop and during bad weather even a larger percentage of the day could be spent in the coop, so the fact they can get out and forage during the day hours on nice days has little bearing on the 12 or more hours they are cooped up at night or when they care cooped up during bad weather...

 

[Sweetman1205]

True....weather is a factor too...my flock and i live in Denver and they even go out in the winter! Have you seen a chicken run in the snow!? Hilarious! Although Little Jerry refused to go outside when she was molting! Lol it was January! Silly girl

 

[Flock Master64]

True....weather is a factor too...my flock and i live in Denver and they even go out in the winter! Have you seen a chicken run in the snow!? Hilarious! Although Little Jerry refused to go outside when she was molting! Lol it was January! Silly girl

I live in The Great Lake State, and yes I've seen chickens run in the snow haha

 

[MeepBeep]

True....weather is a factor too...my flock and i live in Denver and they even go out in the winter! Have you seen a chicken run in the snow!? Hilarious! Although Little Jerry refused to go outside when she was molting! Lol it was January! Silly girl

Another thing to consider is that you will find no shortage of people in a uproar about 'battery cages' and how horrible they are... So lets put that in some perspective here, the new EU 'enriched' battery cages are about 0.81 square feet and even that new 'enriched' size battery cage is now being banned in some countries... So that begs the question of how much less than the recommended 4 sqft per bird should one go before one realistically has just an 'extended' battery cage sized housing?

 

[Flock Master64]

Another thing to consider is that you will find no shortage of people in a uproar about 'battery cages' and how horrible they are... So lets put that in some perspective here, the new EU 'enriched' battery cages are about 0.81 square feet and even that new 'enriched' size battery cage is now being banned in some countries... So that begs the question of how much less than the recommended 4 sqft per bird should one go before one realistically has just an 'extended' battery cage sized housing?

I e never heard of a baterie cage, what is it?

 

[MeepBeep]

I e never heard of a baterie cage, what is it?

Just Google it up, basically they are small cages to contain laying hens, allowing the most hens per square foot of hen house... Just enough room for the chicken to stand, and maybe turn around...

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Battery cages are the old style of cage for egg layers. They cannot turn around or open their wings to flap Their beaks have to be perminatnly cut to blunt them because they pick on each other through the wire. There is no "OUT" for the bird....

I am just describing here... The new standards for many states in the US are they must be able to flap their wings and turn around... They still are pretty much elbow to elbow but have places to roost and move about. They still get de-beaked as chicks.

These are conditions within the Commercial Egg layer production houses.

Far and above different than chickens housed at home even in confined quarters. Ideally there should be 4 square feet per bird within the confines of the coop. This allows for movement the occasional flap of the wings to get up on or down from perches. Ten Square feet per bird for the out door space If possible.... some people build their coop up on legs so the run can be smaller.

Some breeds of chicken are less active and more laid back and can handle confinement better than others. Very large breeds may need more space than the standard.... Very small breeds of course will need smaller space... There are alot of variables.

Same goes for perch space... One linear foot per bird and at least a foot away from the wall. so they can choose to face forward or back.
I double that so there are no squabbles over the best spot to roost.

There is also climate to consider. a coop the right size will provide protection from the elements the chickent provide the BTUs for heat. My coops are all open air because of my climate but in the winter the wind blows so hard it makes the screens on the windows scream.... I provide removable wind barriers for the roosting space. either in tarps or plywood.

deb