Unusual space ?

[tammymacieamy]

I have a 10'x20'x12' tall coop, the run is 600 square ft. I only keep 50 hens in it, I have a dear friend who has to relocate his 50 chickens. Question is if these guys will peck each other to death over the next month??

 

[Lesa]

The most important thing to consider here, is that you should not mix those birds, without a 30 day quarantine.

 

[Jferlisi]

really its all up to you. I quarantined mine for only a few days but since its so many of them and your coop is so big i dont think you will have a hugh problem. I have also seen people add a large number of chickens to there flock and there where no deaths. I think when you have deaths is when they are in a small space and there is no where to run for the new bird(s). How large is your run? Also i would add them to them flock earlier in the day so they can all be in there run together and have alot of space.

 

[tammymacieamy]

Quote:
I know the chickens pretty well, that isn't a concern for me. I deal with this stuff with cattle, quarantine. I read an article a few years ago that if you were bringing animals into your farm that unless you cleaned them head to toe, inside and out then a quarantine was almost worthless. I always keep stuff separated for a few days then check temp. etc. but, poop still happens.... to me anyway LOL

 

[patandchickens]

10x20 coop = 200 square feet. Currently your hens are experiencing about 4 square feet per chicken indoors plus 12 apiece in the run. Doubling the number by adding your friend's would mean reducing that to only 2 square feet indoor and 6 square feet outdoor. Which is really fairly crowded.

It is one thing to do that with birds acquired all at once but IMHO there is a pretty high likelihood of having at least SOME pecking/cannibalism problems when you are mixing two strange flocks at that stocking density. Whether it would be modest or catastrophic nobody can say in advance. But it will not be peaceful, I will betcha anything.

Bear in mind that once cannibalism/pecking starts, it cannot always be cured simply by reducing density or removing "the offenders". Sometimes the only cure is to make a lot of soup stock and start all over again.

Quote:
I know the chickens pretty well, that isn't a concern for me. I deal with this stuff with cattle, quarantine. I read an article a few years ago that if you were bringing animals into your farm that unless you cleaned them head to toe, inside and out then a quarantine was almost worthless. I always keep stuff separated for a few days then check temp. etc. but, poop still happens.... to me anyway LOL

Well, it's rather different with chickens than with cattle since there are so many chicken diseases that cannot really be treated/cured and in some cases cannot be eradicated once introduced to the premises... and even just in terms of parasites, thinking about the potential to have to treat 100 chickens for mites or lice or leg mites makes my head hurt...

...but of course it's a personal choice.

Me, I think it has the potential to go pretty badly wrong in a whole variety of ways, and would not do it, but of course everyone has their own idea of what's a reasonable risk.

Good luck with your decision,

Pat

 

[bburn]

If you take the time to read on here about intergration and quarantine and the illnesses that chickens have you might rethink your decision. I just had a little illness in my flock. One was an original bird and the other a new bird that was in quarantine. It seems to be over but it really got scary.

I do quarantine. I was scared not to. I wanted everyone to have the best chance of making it.
I did follow advice in intergration. Once it worked really nicely. This last time the fence did not hold the new girls in and they flew over and joined the flock. They are high stepping and staying out of everyones way. My DH said they were up on the roost last night....right up on top with everyone else.

I was worried about the RIR hens but it was Sweet Baby, the Partridge Rock that must be top chicky...she is chasing them around. I have plenty of hidey places in the run for the two new girls to get in and under.

But the thought of 50 new birds in with 50 in the original flock. Seems like it would be easier to build a new run and coop and have some peace. You are a braver soul than I am. I know there is pecking order but still it bothered me to see Sweet Baby be the hateful chick.

***so I just asked my DH cause I really did not know....my run is 600 sq ft and my coop is 120 sq ft. My chickens have lots of room but there are only 15 in this run. I am trying to imagine 50. He says I could do it and even the coop would hold them. I hate that he thinks that because I am wanting another coop and run! You might could do it.....I just would not without a quarantine period.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I don't think your coop and run are large enough to absorb another 50.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

My first thoughts are pretty much everything Pat said. It's too bad it isn't a time of year when the weather is nicer. It would be easier to knock together some alternate housing arrangements.

 

[DAFox]

Even if you chose to ignore the quarantine and other advice, I still wouldn't add any birds to your coop. If you need a visual example of the stocking density -- confine your birds to half the space they have now.
Dale-Ann

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You'll need more roosting poles!

Your friend probably doesn't want their flock separated but you may think on only taking 25 to 30 of the 50. With adding 30 you still have 2.5 SQFT of coop and 7.5 SQFT of run. Totals 10 per bird and visually imagining 2 birds in a 3'X5' run is comfortable for anyone (7.5 SQFT per bird). If you were in a free range situation even for the last few hours of each day I'd go for all of them. Obviously you'll have the added feeder and waterer but another thing to add would be a partial divider, stand up a few sheets of plywood or pallets, or at least adding hiding areas to your run so out of line of sight areas can be had for the pecking order period.

Good Luck.