Hi all got a question, I'm getting 10 barred rock hens and 1 rooster in April. According to a book I'm reading it suggests that I make a coop that is 3-4 square feet per bird. Is this a good idea or can it be smaller? I'm going to let them run the yard (which is really large) during good weather, but if today is any indication, I know they will also have to be housed 24 hours a day for several days at time and I don't want them to stress out due to cramped quarters. What your coops like?
IF there is any chase of them being closed up for more than a day or 2, I wouldn't below 3sqft per bird. In your case a 5x7 coop.
Howdy, I just finished building a new coop that more than doubled the area for our chickens. For that many birds (10 BR), you will need more space than you think. To help...mark out a 3-4 square foot area in a room: that would be a block that is less than 2 feet per side. Now subtract space given to the feeder, waterer, ladder, etc...and it gets smaller. In case you're curious, we have 3 hens. In the new coop, they have 48 sq. feet downstairs, upstairs 24 sq. feet. Happy chickens! Good luck..and build that coop as big as you can!
Honestly IMO even 4 sq ft (indoors, plus ample run) is really pushin' it if there will be days when they don't wanna go out. I would suggest more like 10+ sq ft per chicken (indoors, plus ample run) or at any rate as much space (and as few chickens IN it!) as you can possibly bring yourself to allot them. It really does make a difference in how they behave, also in ease of mgmt. Pat
Quote:Have you heard of chicken math? Sooner or later you will want more.... The 4 sf per bird is a minimum for the coop and the run should be at least 10 sf per chicken. I strongly recommend making a covered run -- mine has poultry netting because it is large. The chicken that helped me put up the poultry net died in a hawk attack a few days ago. If you let your chickens free range you need to seriously consider that you may lose some of them to predators. I thought I was prepared and accepted the risk. But the little dust balls I got as livestock became my pets....
