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I think I am very confused on size and age and number of chickens housed in the 5x5 coop. 22? or 12 hens (chicken over the age of 1 year) and some 3-4 week old chicks and 10 meaties in a separate tractor. I agree on the re-thinking. perhaps leave it the 8x5.
I don't cook that many eggs for my husband! def won't do it for stubborn chickens... Get a scratch bucket that makes noise. give it a shake and give them a treat in their coop. before you know it all you have to do is reach for the treat bucket and they come runnin. Pigs with feathers...
Connie
Okay, so I have just been informed (by the measuring-tape wielding DBF) that our shed (soon to be coop) is, in actuality, 16'x18' (that's 128' sq ft of coop space!). . . ummmmm . . . I forgot to mention that I am HORRIBLY inept at estimating anything - time, weight, height, length, distance, etc. DUR. So, according the 4 square feet per bird rule, we're in the clear! In fact, I may need more chickens or less space . . . We'll have 25 laying hens (as long as they're all girls
) when all is said and done. We're in South Central Alaska and I wanted to have enough hens to keep each other warm in the coop without supplemental heat.
I have 33 chickens right now. 15 of those are cornish cross that will be dispatched before the fall. They range in age from 2-7 weeks and live outside in the yard and in their tractor (except for the young ones who are still in the brooder). 17 of the chickens are out in the sectioned-off shed (which happens to be a 8'x6' area) right now. 3 of those are 4wks, 2 are 3wks, 2 are 4mo, 1 is 9wks, 6 are 7wks and the rest are 6wks (3). So, 17 are CURRENTLY housed in the coop. 25 will be housed out there eventually.
I'm thinking we'll limit the scratch to night-night time for a while. Tomorrow we're putting in some nice birch roosts for the girls, too. We may even have to limit their free-ranging during the days. I can't wait to get the coop finished so my girls can finally settle-in . . . Maybe it just doesn't feel like HOME to them yet!
I think I am very confused on size and age and number of chickens housed in the 5x5 coop. 22? or 12 hens (chicken over the age of 1 year) and some 3-4 week old chicks and 10 meaties in a separate tractor. I agree on the re-thinking. perhaps leave it the 8x5.
I don't cook that many eggs for my husband! def won't do it for stubborn chickens... Get a scratch bucket that makes noise. give it a shake and give them a treat in their coop. before you know it all you have to do is reach for the treat bucket and they come runnin. Pigs with feathers...
Connie
Okay, so I have just been informed (by the measuring-tape wielding DBF) that our shed (soon to be coop) is, in actuality, 16'x18' (that's 128' sq ft of coop space!). . . ummmmm . . . I forgot to mention that I am HORRIBLY inept at estimating anything - time, weight, height, length, distance, etc. DUR. So, according the 4 square feet per bird rule, we're in the clear! In fact, I may need more chickens or less space . . . We'll have 25 laying hens (as long as they're all girls
I have 33 chickens right now. 15 of those are cornish cross that will be dispatched before the fall. They range in age from 2-7 weeks and live outside in the yard and in their tractor (except for the young ones who are still in the brooder). 17 of the chickens are out in the sectioned-off shed (which happens to be a 8'x6' area) right now. 3 of those are 4wks, 2 are 3wks, 2 are 4mo, 1 is 9wks, 6 are 7wks and the rest are 6wks (3). So, 17 are CURRENTLY housed in the coop. 25 will be housed out there eventually.
I'm thinking we'll limit the scratch to night-night time for a while. Tomorrow we're putting in some nice birch roosts for the girls, too. We may even have to limit their free-ranging during the days. I can't wait to get the coop finished so my girls can finally settle-in . . . Maybe it just doesn't feel like HOME to them yet!
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