Sq ft chicken questions

[asthrngal89]

I have a 12 ft long 4.5 ft wide chicken tractor coop is up top so they have the whole run below..I have six hens ..is this too small? I've been noticing that they are chasing each other and seen a few feathers here and there wondering I'd they are fighting?? Help!? Ty

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

no, 9 square feet per bird is plenty of room for chickens, the feathers may be them starting to molt, and the chasing could just be them being chickens. You need to get concerned if the birds start getting bald patches.

 

[eviemethugh]

You have plenty of room. 2 square feet is considered minimum. We had 50 in a 10x10 tractor. They all stay piled in about 1/5th of it anyway. But tractors move daily, so things like poop would be more stressful on chickens in the same space that weren't moving.

 

[aart]

I have a 12 ft long 4.5 ft wide chicken tractor coop is up top so they have the whole run below..I have six hens ..is this too small? I've been noticing that they are chasing each other and seen a few feathers here and there wondering I'd they are fighting?? Help!? Ty

That's fine for the run....but how big is the coop itself?

You have plenty of room. 2 square feet is considered minimum. We had 50 in a 10x10 tractor. They all stay piled in about 1/5th of it anyway. But tractors move daily, so things like poop would be more stressful on chickens in the same space that weren't moving.

2sqft is minimum for commercial operations, BYCer's usually are trying to improve upon that.
IMO 4-6sqft is minimum in a coop....especially if in a cold climate where day may be spent inside coop.

 

[asthrngal89]

The coop is 4 x5 and 5 1/2 tall the roosts there are four dif levels for them to choose from gradually go up and nesting boxes I have four that stick out the back it has also a back n front window plus door that stays open to the run for ventilation

 

[asthrngal89]

 

[asthrngal89]

The bottom board (floor) pulls out I clean the "poop" board off daily with brush and hose their water and food are on hooks underneath the coop

 

[aart]

4x5 open floor space is kinda tight for 6.
Do the nests take up any of the floor space?
6 hens only need 2 nests....maybe taking out the other 2 nests will make more room?

 

[junebuggena]

Not nearly enough room. The average guideline is 4 sq ft of floor space inside the coop per medium sized bird and 10 sq ft per bird in the run. This does not include space taken up by nest boxes. Larger breeds will need more room, bantam breeds need less. You can get away with using a coop that's a bit too small if you make up for it in the run. But you don't have enough room in either.

 

[asthrngal89]

Nesting boxes are off the back don't take up any floor space