Spacing per bird.

[Stoney22]

i currently have an approx 30x30 run and how much space does a duck need and how much typical space do they say for a chicken?

 

[IRL]

If the birds do not free range, 10 sq feet per duck or chicken is the minimum. In my opinion, chickens tend to look a bit cramped in 10 square feet, so more is always better.

 

[Stoney22]

so basically i could only have 3 birds in my pen?

 

[MuckyPuppy]

According to my laptop calculator 30 ft x 30 ft = 900 ft / 10 ft = 90 birds. I'm sure if I'm wrong someone will let us know!!

 

[IRL]

Quote:
Yup, you are right

 

[triplepurpose]

Not to confuse the issue, but although that's what the literature says, I think 90 birds in a 30x30 run sounds like a nightmare. I wouldn't go so far as to call it inhumane, but it's going to be darn crowded. You'll need to be prepared to put in a lot of work keeping it clean, have a very efficient deep litter system, or enduring a god-awful stench and possibly frequent bouts of disease--not to mention stress and the possibility of cannibalism and all the other issues related to overcrowding. I think a third the number of birds (or less, of course) would be much more workable. With only ten or less, you might actually be able to keep a nice grassy pasture going in that run, for instance! The thing is, the more you try to intensify the whole thing, the more stress on the animals, the more work it requires, and the more problems you have to deal with. Stuffing that many animals into a tiny a space is, well, frankly, just not natural--by which I mean that nature can't cope with maintaining it, therefor the more you have to step in and interfere to do so.

I have a space that I'm guessing is about 1.5 times the size of yours, maybe a little bigger, for about 25 to 30 birds. Including a covered run and two small "pastures" (mostly dirt) that I normally try to rotate. They use to be confined to just the run, but then I made the two pastures, because I felt it was too crowded, and more space was healthier.

Generally, the more space you provide for the number of birds, the cleaner and easier to manage the whole thing becomes. So if the question is how much space for a chicken (or for that matter, a duck) my general answer is going to be "as much as possible, because the more the better."

Common sense is more useful here than numbers IMO.

That's my 2 cents worth. Best of luck!

 

[Stoney22]

yes thank you, and yes after i figured it out correctly and my numbers were the same as yours at 90 birds...i must agree god that would be an awful lot, all im planning on having is 8 ducks, 6 laying hens and maybe a roo if one of my newly hatched turns out to be one. they are in a covered run and my gram whoim i rent from doesnt want thjem to free range because of poop in the yard for the other tents(even though all of them are also family.) its kinda everyones yard so i have to respect that. i may pen them in spots ion the yard so they can eat grass and stuff later on when they grow more and i have a garden with a lot of plants she allowed me to have but the stipulation is i have to clean out all the pumpkin vines and the like, so what better and easier way then to pen off the 10xprobably 40-50 garden and let the birds go in it at the end of the growing season?

 

[bryan99705]

Give them space and they will adapt.

I calculated my sq ft per bird in the fenced yard and each bird (10 BB turkeys, 1 goose, & 5 RIR hens plus a mutt rooster) has about 175 square feet

but I look out and all the birds are sitting in a 20 ft area.

It just don't make sense sometimes

 

[triplepurpose]

Quote:
Sounds like they should be quite happy and manageable in that space with that kind of ratio then. I really like your garden idea. They can "clean up" and they'll also fertilize it for the next season. We have a lettuce and greens market garden and I run a small chicken tractor down the rows after the last harvest is done and before I till under the residues... same principle.