too many chickens

[guss]

ok so i have an 8'x8' x7' tall shed im turning into a coop i got 24 chick cause the lady at tsc told me id be lucky if half lived getting them from there. so 3 weeks later i have 24 healthy chicks and a tiny coop with no money to make a bigger one. ideas???

 

[Kmf]

You could always sell some on Craig's List. I think that someone would LOVE chicks that are a little older and out of the woods instead of brooding them themselves. Good luck to you! I know it's a very common problem with us chicken lovers to have too many!!! It's an addiction!

 

[Over Easy in Adna]

Drop them off at my house.

 

[Matt A NC]

Are the chicks sexed? If not, You be relocating extra roosters anyways.

If they are sexed as females, then just sell them once they are big enough to go out without heat/light. Around here, at 8 weeks old I can sell female chicks/started pullets at $6-$7 each.

Matt

 

[gibsonbuzz]

look at it this way. Extra food on the plate.

 

[happyhensny]

We have an 8 x 8 shed/coop and all winter we had 24 chickens in there with an attached 14 x 20 run. Fortunately, all got along with no issues. Our winters here give us lots of snow and negative temps frequently. It can work, but, the run needs to be large enough and sheltered from the wind and snow if you get it, so they can go out daily year round.

 

[Shifty Joe]

My coop is a 8x10 shed with a 18x17 chicken run and I have had around 15 chickens. I've found that if you put enough perches in and almost unlimited access to the run, this is more than enough room. I'm going to be expanding my winter flock to around 20 Hens and 1 Rooster. So I would say your going to do just fine. Add some windows and may a turbine to increase the ventilation, it will be a chicken paradise.

Main thing I found to be the issue is if the chickens are limited to just the coop, the Roosters get really really board and the hens just don't have much room to get out of his way.

Early hen pattern baldness is no fun.

 

[happyhensny]

I totally agree with you Joe - in the winter our run is shoveled if needed and I put plastic sheeting all around to block wind. Hang cabbages, get some old chewy bagels, anything food oriented chickens love and it keeps them busy.

 

[BuffaloWings]

According to the rule of 4 square ft floor space per bird, that is only 16 chickens. I have never followed this rule and have never had any problems. In fact, I probably have had twice that number in chickens plus throw in a turkey pair and some ducks too. The thing is it required lots of management. I cleaned really often, had ample ventilation and them some, my run was pretty big, plus they free ranged most of the time. The only time they were actually in the coop was to lay eggs and roost. Looking at the arrangement I had there was always plenty of roost space with no problems. I think you can easily get by with more chickens per square foot. My neighbor up the section had a smaller coop at one time with more birds than me and also had no problems. You just have to be willing to put in the extra time it takes to deal with them. If you don't things can get out of hand in a hurry and you spend all your time digging your way out of hole. Plus its really hard to get rid of chicks you are attached to. Good luck.

 

[geese'n'chickenlovr]

I'd love to have more chicks!!What type are they(I hope they're buff orpingtons)