Square foot per chicken?

[Squirrelletta]

Whats the standard square foot per chicken on the out side run? Mine will be 8'x4' and I ws thinking 4-6 hens? Would they be happy with that? Could I add one or two more?

I'm very new to this...but I want happy & healthy peeps!
Nicole

 

[Matt A NC]

The outside run need to be a minimum of 10 square feet per bird, but 15 is better.

A 8x4 run is only 32 square feet, so you are looking at enough room for 3 standard size birds.

Matt

 

[elmo]

I agree with the previous poster; start with fewer birds (three is a nice number to start with) and see how it goes. The more crowded your chickens are, the more work you're going to have to do to keep things clean enough for health, and the more chance you have of chicken squabbles.

Depending on your need for eggs, you could also think about getting bantams. Their space requirements are less (although I wouldn't put more than 3 bantams in a 32 foot square run, either). Their eggs are smaller (although not in proportion to their smaller size). We have four very small bantam hens (Serama hybrids) and they provide us with all the fresh eggs we need for our small family of three. The little eggs are very rich (more yolk, less white than a standard egg) and very tasty.

 

[Squirrelletta]

Thank you! Starting with 3 was the plan anyhow. I'll be fencin goff an area the tractor itself will be in so they can free roam through an orchard area and we can sit with them on weekends and goof off. But most of their time will be in the coop tractor so I want it to be spacious!

 

[PandoraTaylor]

 

[woodenart]

yep, 10 square feet per bird if cooped up most of the time.

Mark.