Square footage rules

[MotherOfMany]

We are new to chickens so we checked local ordinances before building. Our's calls for a minimum of 5 square feet of space per chicken. Thats coop and run if it's enclosed per the papers. Is this a pretty common number? For our "planned" six we really over-built. We have room enough for 28 according to the city.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

They say 3 sq foot inside and 10 sq foot outside per bird. That is what I was told when starting a while back. WOrked out great for us so far

 

[Intheswamp]

I live in a rural area so I'm not familiar with the square footage. But, having overbuilt your coop and run, your chickens will do wonderful with fewer problems with pecking, coop and run will stay cleaner,...more room is just all together better.

The minimum "rules" that are often stated, but are by no means written in stone, state that coop space should be 4 square feet per large fowl chicken and 10 square yards of run space per large fowl chicken. These are stated as being minimum areas. Your square footage will work great.

Overbuilt? No. Generously built? Yes.

Best wishes!
Ed

 

[Chipper]

Lots of room is a great thing for you and the chickens.I never go with the bare minimums.
My chickens are happier and healthier and it's a lot less work for me.

 

[RobotChicken]

Here the requirement is 2 square feet per bird in the coop.

Not saying that is enough, its just what the requirement is.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Don't worry--more is MUCH better! Anyhoo, you'll be getting more than six sooner than you think--Bwa ha ha ha ha!

 

[pacetruckguy]

I have a 3X5 coop and a 6X15 run with 8 hens. They all seem to be happy and give me at least 6 eggs a day. Sometimes 8. I do let them out to a bigger fenced in area a lot of the time, now that the weather is nice.