Sanity check? Fixed Coop/Run sizing thoughts.

[woolyrunnerlady]

I'm looking to raise some meat birds this year, but my yard is not really suitable for a tractor. I have a space where I can set up an 8'x10' run/coop area. (see rough plans I've drawn up below.) I would end up with 48SF of open run, 32SF available under the coop for when the chickens are smaller, and a 32SF enclosed coop. Should I add an additional 2' or 3' to the run? Then I would have 64-72SF of open run. I'm trying to balance cost of materials vs. health of birds.

I'm thinking of supporting 15 birds at a time, starting in May. Likely Red Rangers to avoid the health issues with Cornish Crosses.

 

[paddock36]

I was always told at 2 Sq ft per bird, but 3 is better. My first tractor was about the same size. The fresh grass is always good and I never had a pest issue when I used the tractor. Not that it can't happen, but that was my past experience. With that being said, I think your plans look pretty good.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Can you draw another plan view showing just the floor plan of the coop plus the floor plan of the run? We don't need to know (at this juncture) the materials you'll be using, just the square footage available to the chickens. Also please sketch in where the feeder(s) and waterer(s) will be. Thank you.

 

[FunClucks]

Where in the world do you live? Different coop style are best for different locations determined largely by your weather.

The triangle style coops can be hard to access and clean, which may not be too much of a problem for a handful of eggers, but can be much more of an issue for meat birds like CX. For a fixed installation for growing CX (covered run), I'd recommend no less than 5 sq feet per chicken - this allows you to have enough litter so you can turn it and you have space to get in there and tend to the birds.

The red rangers will act more like eggers than CX, but with a larger appetite. Therefore they will need egger-type space requirements, and how long you plan to grow them out before processing will play into that. Egger type space requirement on here are a minimum of 15 square feet of floor space per chicken (including both in the coop and in the run) else you run into issues of bullying and feather picking especially once they're bigger. For the red rangers, you'll have a mixed flock of males and females and grow them to at least 5 months (I'm assuming), so space is especially important to allow roos to coexist in the presence of females especially.

If I were you, if snow is not an issue/concern, I'd look at greenhouse frame chicken coops that are covered by hardware cloth with a large hardware cloth apron, covered by a tarp. If snow is a concern, check out cattle panel or similar coops - two cattle panels bend into a C shape, secured at the base, covered entirely by hardware cloth, hardware cloth apron, with a tarp over top to keep out rain/snow. In either case, you build the ends of the coop and put door(s) in the ends.

Much easier IMO than a wooden A frame coop, easier for humans to access and clean, among other benefits.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I've found that CX are much dirtier than other chickens, bc they eat more and move less.

 

[woolyrunnerlady]

The triangle style coops can be hard to access and clean

The center height is 6' at the peak, and I'm only 5' tall. The rear access door for clean out is 4' wide by 2' tall, specifically to address clean out of the coop area. I have a wide cleanout door for my egg flock and it works well. The plain looking rectangle with the 3rd image is the floor of the coop. Snow is a concern, so a steep pitch like an A frame is practical here.

15 square feet of floor space per chicken

...that is way more than I've seen mentioned. I've been looking at ag and cooperative websites but not seen anything as high as 15, and I was already worried that the 5ish they would have per bird at 80sf total would be tight and was planning on giving them supervised (so they don't destroy my garden or my neighbor's garden) ranging time.

For the red rangers, you'll have a mixed flock of males and females and grow them to at least 5 months

The supplier suggests rangers be harvested at 10-12 weeks, certainly not 20. If the grow-out time is 20 then I can't do 2 batches before the weather gets to be a bit much. If I'm not going to get 30 total chickens or 90 total meals then it is likely a non-starter and I could just plant a bunch of soy beans in the same SF and not panic about avian flu!

just the square footage available to the chickens

With an 8x10 coop the available SF will be 80SF, I'm planning on mounting the feeders/waterers along the sides of the A frame in a trough style. If I extend to an 8x12 then 96SF, and 8x13 would be 104SF. Feeder arrangement the same. I do not plan on having feed in the coop.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

With an 8x10 coop the available SF will be 80SF,

Okay, for how many chickens, though? It's generally recommended to plan 4 sq ft of floor space per chicken, to prevent behavioral issues like feather picking, bullying and even cannibalizing. I've never heard of anyone advising 15 sq ft per chicken in the coop, either. I have heard of a recommendation of 10 to 15 sq ft of space per chicken in the outdoor run, however. But I'm not sure that would be needed for meat birds, who - in my experience at least - tend not to exercise much at all.

 

[woolyrunnerlady]

how many chickens, though?

15 at a time, 2 batches of Rangers slaughtered at around 10-12 weeks. Possibly 3 batches if timings work out as I do not want to be tending meat birds in the winter.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, if you're only going to have 15 at a time, 80 sq ft is plenty of room.

 

[Ridgerunner]

...that is way more than I've seen mentioned. I've been looking at ag and cooperative websites but not seen anything as high as 15, and I was already worried that the 5ish they would have per bird at 80sf total would be tight and was planning on giving them supervised (so they don't destroy my garden or my neighbor's garden) ranging time.

Over the years I've seen everything from 1 sq ft per bird to 15 sq ft mentioned. Remember that these are suggestions and opinions, not rules of nature. We all keep different flocks for different reasons with different goals and use different management techniques. One size does not work for all.

You are planning on raising rangers for meat and butchering at around 12 weeks of age. That is a lot different than having a multigenerational flock with hens hatching and raising chicks with the flock. I would not try to let a broody raise a brood in your space if there were many other adults around, but you are not trying that. I do not know how well it will work for juvenile meaties, specifically Rangers.

The problems I have when I try to pack chickens into a tight space is I see more behavioral problems, I have to work harder, and I have fewer options if I do have issues. With your juveniles I don't know if you will have behavioral problems or not. If you do, can you isolate one or will you have to butcher one or more early?

The working harder is what I think you will see. To gain weight they need to eat. When they eat they poop. I think your biggest challenge may be poop management. I have never raised Rangers so no experience with them, just a guess.

Good luck! And let us know how it goes.