I have been seeing a lot of posts about what is big enough for X birds.... There is a lot of information that can be needed to answer that seemingly simple question. Just some to consider are..
1. Will there be a run? Coops with a run may not need so much floor space per bird.
2. Will there be cover in any such run? A cover in part of the run may reduce #3 below.
3. How many days per year will the weather be bad enough that the birds are "cooped up"? If birds are rarely in the coop is 4 ft sq. per bird excessive?
4. Are you using roosts or just litter? A setup with a run and roosts with pits or catches for droppings can keep litter so much cleaner that 2 sq ft per bird could easily be a better case than one with 4 sq feet per bird with no roosts or run.
Everything is a matter of choices, judgements and eventually your own experiences. BYC is a great place to ask questions and get advice. One suggestion I would toss out for a new entrant is the following:
Once you have done your homework choosen your path and decided to take the plunge go ahead and get your coop for what you eventually want to have BUT ... Only initially stock it at 50%. This will allow the newcomer to get experience and tweak their setup without finding themselves overcrowded, overwhelmed and generally behind the eightball.
If all goes well then you have the fun of expandind you flock later.
Discussion welcome
1. Will there be a run? Coops with a run may not need so much floor space per bird.
2. Will there be cover in any such run? A cover in part of the run may reduce #3 below.
3. How many days per year will the weather be bad enough that the birds are "cooped up"? If birds are rarely in the coop is 4 ft sq. per bird excessive?
4. Are you using roosts or just litter? A setup with a run and roosts with pits or catches for droppings can keep litter so much cleaner that 2 sq ft per bird could easily be a better case than one with 4 sq feet per bird with no roosts or run.
Everything is a matter of choices, judgements and eventually your own experiences. BYC is a great place to ask questions and get advice. One suggestion I would toss out for a new entrant is the following:
Once you have done your homework choosen your path and decided to take the plunge go ahead and get your coop for what you eventually want to have BUT ... Only initially stock it at 50%. This will allow the newcomer to get experience and tweak their setup without finding themselves overcrowded, overwhelmed and generally behind the eightball.
If all goes well then you have the fun of expandind you flock later.
Discussion welcome
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