Room for more birds?

[Laylahege]

I got my girls last year and I'm in love with them. I have 3 barred rocks and 3 bantam eggers.
I'm already thinking of getting more, but I'm wondering about space. I'm getting mixed info online. I have a 4x4x4 foot coop floor space with 5 nesting boxes extending out. The run is 8x12 foot. The girls get let out into my 1/2 acre backyard daily. The coop doesn't have a door that locks. The run is locked at night and very secure (my awesome husband made sure of that). They have two 4 foot perches and usually only use 1, sometimes the loner chicken will perch by herself.
I was thinking I could get 2-3 more, but I went through "my pet chicken" and they have a 4 bird minimum.
Do I have enough room? Should I wait until the girls are older (they're 7.5 months).

 

[knobhillfarm]

At first glance, your limiting factor may be the size of the coop. 16 square feet is pretty small already for the 6 chickens you currently have even with 3 of them being bantams. Where are located and what’s the climate like? Is the run portion roofed and sheltered from weather? Photos of your coop and run would also help others be able to provide advice and suggestions.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I believe you will have problems adding more to that size coop. I personally wouldn't. Once yours sexually mature you may see square footage being an issue. 3 square feet per bird is minimum recommendations.

 

[Battlepants]

I like to aim for 4 square foot per bird in the coop personally. Makes the coop more comfortable in those rainy or snowy days when they are going to be staying inside. So yea, I would strongly suggest adding more coop, or even building a secondary coop if at all possible.

 

[Laylahege]

I like to aim for 4 square foot per bird in the coop personally. Makes the coop more comfortable in those rainy or snowy days when they are going to be staying inside. So yea, I would strongly suggest adding more coop, or even building a secondary coop if at all possible.

Thanks ya'll. That's what I initially thought, then I kept seeing smaller coops with more chickens! I don't think much about the coop size because they only go in to sleep and lay. The run is covered and they're out most of the day anyway.

 

[Battlepants]

Thanks ya'll. That's what I initially thought, then I kept seeing smaller coops with more chickens! I don't think much about the coop size because they only go in to sleep and lay. The run is covered and they're out most of the day anyway.

Yea, I'd have to thank advertisements and prefab coops for that thought process. By my understanding they follow the minimum legal requirement for battery farmed birds when determining their coop capacity. It always sounds good to the consumer that their 10 sq foot coop can hold 10 birds, but those birds will not be happy or healthy in that environment.

But yea, ultimately what we strive to do as backyard chicken owners is to give these birds better lives than their battery farmed counterparts. It will certainly cost more than buying the battery farmed eggs, but the eggs we get are much healthier and our birds have good lives.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing. If you put your location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice.

I have a 4x4x4 foot coop

Your coop is already pushing too small for the birds you have -- since each full-size bird needs 4 square feet and bantams *usually* are said to need half the space.

Integration of new birds takes extra room above and beyond the suggested minimums.

Could you share photos of your setup so we could make suggestions?

Should I wait until the girls are older (they're 7.5 months).

Do you intend to cycle your flock to keep the egg production up or are they going to be forever pets?

 

[Laylahege]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing. If you put your location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice.



Your coop is already pushing too small for the birds you have -- since each full-size bird needs 4 square feet and bantams *usually* are said to need half the space.

Integration of new birds takes extra room above and beyond the suggested minimums.

Could you share photos of your setup so we could make suggestions?



Do you intend to cycle your flock to keep the egg production up or are they going to be forever pets?

I finally remembered to grab some photos. We built it with mostly recycled material so it's not the prettiest but it's very secure. Run is covered.
Possibly could add another coop to the left side? We are removing the large pine tree soon. I would like to keep the eggs flowing, but I'm new to this.
I'm in Georgia. I let the girls out every morning to roam the yard and lock them up at dark after they've all perched.

 

[3KillerBs]

Since you're in Georgia, unless you're in the coolest part of the mountains, you could turn that entire arrangement into an Open Air coop and forgo having a fully-enclosed coop at all.

Open Air coops are highly recommended for hot climate areas.

Open Air Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

 

[Mamatomany123]

Since you're in Georgia, unless you're in the coolest part of the mountains, you could turn that entire arrangement into an Open Air coop and forgo having a fully-enclosed coop at all.

Open Air coops are highly recommended for hot climate areas.

Open Air Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

I agree. I also suggest replacing the chicken wire with hardware cloth. Your set up is not as predator proof as you think.