too many chickens

[glenolam]

I agree with happyhensy, joe and buffalo wings - We have a 8x10 shed with PLENTY of perches and about 12 nesting boxes, although only 6 ever get used. Attached is a very large run that is about twice the size of the hen house - it wraps around one side like an "L" shape. (See my Avatar) The chicken door to the run is always open so whoever wants to stand out in the rain can, but they usually cuddle up inside in bad weather.

Currently in my hen house there are: 6 adult ducks, 8 guinea hens (we actually built them a freakin house where they can free range outside and they REFUSE it - they want to live with the chickens), 2 roosters, and a total of 15 hens. That is 31 birds total and we NEVER have issues - I actually just sold 7 other birds and 1 died so not long ago we had 40. Now, we do let everyone out of their house and pen to roam the yard on nice days/weekends while we are home to watch for predators so they get excersize and space. I rescued 4 hens from a woman last year who had about as many birds as I did, but they were all chickens and they had about a 4x6 house with a 3x4 run - those poor girls were at the bottom of the pecking order and had lost all their neck feathers and tail feathers. But a few months later they had all grown their feathers back and I even hatched chicks from them last week!

I think you should give it a try before you get rid of any. If you see that some hens are getting beaten up, get rid of them. If everyone is happy and healthy, why change it? More eggs!!

 

[NellaBean]

I have an 8x8 coop and usually have anywhere from 15 to 30 chickens in there. Currently have 25 (I think), including 2 bantam cochins and 4 huge cochins. They free range during the day and only go in there for food, to lay eggs and to roost at night. I have approximately 35 or so feet of roost space total. A little over half is currently taken at night. Have 6 nest boxes but am going to whittle down to 4 as soon as the broody cochins are done hogging the boxes.

It is WAY too many to keep locked up in the coop only. But there is more than enough room for this number of birds to just roost at night. They DO argue over roost space at night, regardless of how much you have. You need more than you think. If you try to keep them locked up during daylight, they will argue.

It can work if they will only be locked up at night. Otherwise, it would be too many.

 

[guss]

thanks alot guys. im gonna give it a try, at least till i find out how many roos i have for sure then the extra roos will make great soup.
i have enough land for a pretty big run. so why not see what happens.