Why does every single retail coop seller lie about how many chickens their coops can hold?

[thistlewick]

Why has NO ONE ANYWHERE done the due diligence of simply researching a TEENY TINY BIT and discovering the 10 square feet rule. Why has NO ONE gone beyond the '4 square feet' of *commercial broiler guidelines*????

I am pissed about this - just was browsing around this morning... I don't need a new coop but I enjoy looking at them and how cute they are and just enjoy 'window shopping' for chicken things as a morning coffee routine and man I am irritated in the extreme.

How can we help change this? How can we as a community help *CHANGE THE DIALOGUE* and get the correct information out there?


If we can somehow manage to change the understanding, we're going to have a LOT LESS PROBLEMS with backyard chickens. The more room these birds are allowed to have, the happier and healthier they are. Full stop.


People just simply DO NOT HAVE this information - because every single business that is selling chicken coops has the 4 square foot rule in place, not the 10 square foot one. How can we disseminate all the knowledge built up here? Sitting on a forum isn't enough. It's just simply not enough. What is the greatest avenue for getting information out to people? Is it freaking Martha Stewart? lol

Just catching the people who *happen* to come here and ask questions just isn't enough. The knowledge built up here should be COMMON knowledge at this point, not some mysterious gatekept chicken secrets held fast only if you're willing to google and make a forum account and be willing to learn, etc etc

The fact that no one outside chicken nerds really knows any of this needs to change. I'm disgusted that the people trying to sell coops by and large don't even care to learn more than what is "industry standard for commercial farms".

Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.

I am going to actually try and research and figure out what I can do, to help educate. These forums are too passive. It's not enough.

 

[sourland]

In actuality, many of the pre fab coops provide less than 4 sq ft/bird. It's a sad reality and most likely could only be solved by legislation with its inherent problems.

 

[thistlewick]

In actuality, many of the pre fab coops provide less than 4 sq ft/bird. It's a sad reality and most likely could only be solved by legislation with its inherent problems.

This is exactly right. It's ABOMINABLE.

WHY are they just straight up LYING?! Is it truly igornance?? Or is it more insidious than that, and claiming '20 chickens in your 55 square foot coop' simply sells more???

 

[PimsGarden]

Why has NO ONE ANYWHERE done the due diligence of simply researching a TEENY TINY BIT and discovering the 10 square feet rule. Why has NO ONE gone beyond the '4 square feet' of *commercial broiler guidelines*????

I am pissed about this - just was browsing around this morning... I don't need a new coop but I enjoy looking at them and how cute they are and just enjoy 'window shopping' for chicken things as a morning coffee routine and man I am irritated in the extreme.

How can we help change this? How can we as a community help *CHANGE THE DIALOGUE* and get the correct information out there?


If we can somehow manage to change the understanding, we're going to have a LOT LESS PROBLEMS with backyard chickens. The more room these birds are allowed to have, the happier and healthier they are. Full stop.


People just simply DO NOT HAVE this information - because every single business that is selling chicken coops has the 4 square foot rule in place, not the 10 square foot one. How can we disseminate all the knowledge built up here? Sitting on a forum isn't enough. It's just simply not enough. What is the greatest avenue for getting information out to people? Is it freaking Martha Stewart? lol

Just catching the people who *happen* to come here and ask questions just isn't enough. The knowledge built up here should be COMMON knowledge at this point, not some mysterious gatekept chicken secrets held fast only if you're willing to google and make a forum account and be willing to learn, etc etc

The fact that no one outside chicken nerds really knows any of this needs to change. I'm disgusted that the people trying to sell coops by and large don't even care to learn more than what is "industry standard for commercial farms".

Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.

I am going to actually try and research and figure out what I can do, to help educate. These forums are too passive. It's not enough.

I get the same kinda angry about the feeding amounts on the back of most pet food bags. Regulations with animals are way too relaxed in certain areas. Another thing that needs to be regulated is the sale of invasive plants at garden centers, no one should be planting stuff like Ivy and Periwinkle. Now you got me goin....

 

[thistlewick]

I get the same kinda angry about the feeding amounts on the back of most pet food bags. Regulations with animals are way too relaxed in certain areas. Another thing that needs to be regulated is the sale of invasive plants at garden centers, no one should be planting stuff like Ivy and Periwinkle. Now you got me goin....

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I agree about invasive species as well!

I had to find REGULAR PEOPLE selling native NC species out of their BACKYARDS to get native species for planting this fall.

ITS STUPID.

I love getting fired up hhahaha

 

[PimsGarden]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I agree about invasive species as well!

I had to find REGULAR PEOPLE selling native NC species out of their BACKYARDS to get native species for planting this fall.

ITS STUPID.

I love getting fired up hhahaha

There was a really good native NC grower but they just got slammed by Helene and are not currently in business I think. Idk how far you are but Tennessee Naturescapes is an incredible one and they have a lot that would be native to NC too! It can be surprisingly hard to find natives, which is insane cause they should be used most often for ease and habitat benefits!

You know if you accidentally knock a flat of something like ivy on the ground at Home Depot or Lowe's they usually just throw the plants away...

 

[thistlewick]

I have 2 local people near me that I get my shrubs from. I need to plant omg I'm so behind - they are still in their tubs haha

okay so I asked gemini (google's AI assistant) what I could do;

1. Educate and Advocate:

• Create Informative Content: Develop blog posts, articles, and videos that highlight the benefits of providing 10 square feet per chicken. Use scientific studies, expert opinions, and anecdotal evidence to support your claims.
• Social Media Campaigns: Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to share your content and engage with the community. Use relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
• Online Forums and Communities: Participate in online forums and communities related to backyard chickens. Share your knowledge and engage in discussions.

2. Partner with Influencers and Experts:

• Collaborate with Chicken Experts: Connect with veterinarians, poultry experts, and experienced backyard chicken keepers who can endorse the 10 square feet per chicken standard.
• Leverage Influencer Reach: Partner with popular chicken-related influencers to promote your message to a wider audience.

3. Engage with Retailers:

• Direct Outreach: Contact retailers that sell chicken coops and explain the benefits of the 10 square feet standard. Provide them with educational materials and suggest ways they can incorporate this information into their marketing.
• Offer Incentives: Consider offering incentives, such as discounts or promotional materials, to retailers who adopt the 10 square feet per chicken standard.

4. Lobby for Regulatory Changes:

• Advocate for Local Regulations: Work with local government officials to explore the possibility of implementing regulations that require a minimum amount of space per chicken in backyard flocks.
• Support Industry Standards: Encourage industry organizations to adopt the 10 square feet per chicken standard as a recommended guideline.

5. Leverage Consumer Power:

• Encourage Consumer Education: Empower consumers to research chicken coop requirements and advocate for the 10 square feet standard when making purchases.
• Support Businesses That Align: Promote businesses that prioritize the well-being of chickens and adhere to the 10 square feet per chicken standard.

I highlighted the ones I think that I can do in purple.

I am legit sick of this being something you have to correct instead of something that everyone just knows, because it is the default information, when you first begin learning how to keep chickens. We can effect change.

 

[thistlewick]

When I first started talking to other farmers when I first bought this land and was talking about becoming a farmer myself, ALL OF THEM, to a man (it was all men) said 'omg, don't do chickens. all they want to do is try and die. they are terrible just don't do them'

And my hard head was like.... oh yeah?!

And I started on my journey with chickens first... and it's just not true. It's just NOT TRUE at all. They are hardy, self sufficient, strong, able bodied, intelligent, capable animals. Also cutely dumb sometimes, but seriously though - they are fantastic.

I'm convinced all these farmers I spoke to never came here and learned *HOW* to properly keep chickens.

we need to effect more change.

 

[nuthatched]

Actually , most prefabs are 1 or 2 square feet per bird, the minimum often quoted here is 4 sq feet. 10 feet is excessive and this is not something we want the government to give two hoots about. I don't want them to regulate anything to do with my birds, personally.

 

[Dominique King]

The only way I see their use is for putting a broody in hen in to raise her chicks or for you to raise a few pullets. I have a bigger coop for my adult chickens but the smaller one with a small yard is for raising chicks.