Worried

[NCcitychicken]

Thank you everyone I think I will separate my bantams and silkies away from the big guys!! I think I copied the link to show what kind of coop and run I have so if I separate them I will keep my silkies where they are and move by big guys out to coop and add a heat source at night and all should be ok??? Sry so many ???s just very new to this and I love them all and want them to thrive and be happy!!

I actually have this exact coop. I have 10 growing right now. I'm gonna build a fenced area around it to let them out during the day. I used to keep 7 in a home built 4x8 with a fenced run and never had a problem. I don't foresee any problem with this new 5x9 and 10 of them. That being said it wouldn't ever hold 18 chickens, but as long as you can make an outdoor run for foraging I think this is a nice coop for them to lay eggs, sleep, drink water, and eat feed in. Not that I don't respect other people's opinion I just think you shouldn't get too worked up about it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I actually have this exact coop. I have 10 growing right now. I'm gonna build a fenced area around it to let them out during the day. I used to keep 7 in a home built 4x8 with a fenced run and never had a problem. I don't foresee any problem with this new 5x9 and 10 of them. That being said it wouldn't ever hold 18 chickens, but as long as you can make an outdoor run for foraging I think this is a nice coop for them to lay eggs, sleep, drink water, and eat feed in. Not that I don't respect other people's opinion I just think you shouldn't get too worked up about it.

10 growing is way different than 10 adults. There's no way the coop part can fit 10 grown chickens in it. You will have troubles down the road.

 

[NCcitychicken]

I don't see how as they will have an outdoor fence around it. It's a really popular coop TSC can't keep them in stock. Really am not going to argue about it though.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Tractor supply is in business to make money. They aren't exactly livestock experts. I'm not arguing with you. I just want the original poster to know that long term a small coop like that isn't going to work. Chickens can be quite vicious if crowded or confined too much. That type of coop isn't very sturdy either, and predators could easily break into them. People do make them work, but usually with only a couple of chickens, and in a warmer climate like your. I don't know where the OP is from. If they are any where that it gets cold or they get a lot of rain, then there will be chickens that can't get, and stay inside it for days or months on end because there isn't enough room, both physically and mentally.

 

[NCcitychicken]

Ok. I agree with you there can be many variables thrown in there. And I definitely agree being locked up in that thing would be a major disaster. It's gonna be fine for my design, I hope the op can make it work as well. I am here to ruffle no feathers, just wanna help and waste time talking about chickens. I argue with my kids enough I've had my fill of that haha

 

[PD-Riverman]

I don't see how as they will have an outdoor fence around it. It's a really popular coop TSC can't keep them in stock. Really am not going to argue about it though.

Look, I had a 5 x 7 and roosted over 100 grown chickens for a long time---- I now got a 6x7" and roost 75 with out any Problems---have had 90 in it with more roosting room left. I roost 5 adults in each of about 20---- 55 gallon barrel cut out --laying on their side---what are they 38" x 26" maybe. I have roosted 8 in a medium size plastic type dog houses for a long time. I got several of these that are closed in on the back and 2 sides They are 3 1/2 feet x 7ft and I have 50 to 60 adults---in them at times.

I do not worry about what the recommended sqft for each chicken is or who wrote the book. I make sure they are ok, not to crowded and if a man says I can not put them in there---I don't pay those words any attention. Picture this----I got a 6x7=42sqft 42 divided by 3 =14---so I can roost maybe 14 or 16 in this coop, Now think about it---if I put 20 in it they pretty much all roost on the top roost pole----I got 5 more roost poles, but I SHOULD NOT put more than 15 or so in the whole coop-----LOL. All My coops just like yours NC is for roosting only---they eat outside mine, nesting boxes are outside we rarely see snow and they are rarely ever inside during the day. I am Good!! If they were going to Live it it 24/7----that's a different story! They don't and will never.

 

[NCcitychicken]

10-4 PD riverman you tell it like it is. I already have trouble getting people to respond to my posts so I'm trying to be nice, but seriously I think a lot of people are too busy counting to a million to respond to people's questions lol

 

[PD-Riverman]

10-4 PD riverman you tell it like it is. I already have trouble getting people to respond to my posts so I'm trying to be nice, but seriously I think a lot of people are too busy counting to a million to respond to people's questions lol

LOL. if a person tells me after all these years I can not keep 75 chickens in a 42sgft house---My mind tries to think this through----I know I have had 90 in it for a few months, so I scratch my head and try to figure out how I can Not have 75 in it when I have had that for a long time. I do not know the size of the tractor supply coop boxes, but if they say 10, I could properly vent it and adjust/modify it and get 14 in it maybe----comfortably. Look at this picture----the blue barrels----have slept 5 breeders---like 5 Speckled Sussex or 5 barred rocks per barrel for 2 years---rain sleet or a little snow. Like I said above they are about 26" x 38"--that's inches.

 

[aart]

A lot of folks here are striving to keep chickens for food in better than the grossly overcrowded factory farm conditions.
If ya'll want to keep them crammed in minimal spaces, go for it, but don't expect much agreement.

Maybe you have the climate, experience, and time to manage such a situation,
but please don't mislead newbies into thinking that it's OK for everyone.
Especially with those tiny prefab coops that are barely weather proof with lousy ventilation and exaggerated population claims.

Overcrowding very often does cause behavioral and health issues,
there's a bigger picture and several variables to take into account when giving advice.

 

[lazy gardener]

A lot of folks here are striving to keep chickens for food in better than the grossly overcrowded factory farm conditions.
If ya'll want to keep them crammed in minimal spaces, go for it, but don't expect much agreement.

Maybe you have the climate, experience, and time to manage such a situation,
but please don't mislead newbies into thinking that it's OK for everyone.
Especially with those tiny prefab coops that are barely weather proof with lousy ventilation and exaggerated population claims.

Overcrowding very often does cause behavioral and health issues,
there's a bigger picture and several variables to take into account when giving advice.

What Aart said. Just because they can be crammed into a space does not make it "best practice". Agreed with Aart. Many of us are raising poultry in our back yards to get away from the factory farm sardine can mentality. Climate plays a huge role, as does the yard space of the flock owner. Huge difference between a flock that can free range year round, and survive in an open front coop... compared to trying the same set up in the northern states where ground is frozen 6 months of the year, with snow cover most of that time, and sub zero temps for days and weeks on end. Those little coops may get the job done, but they are an invitation to long term management hassles.