Topic: how many chickens

[grotbag]

hi all,i am debating wether or not to get some chucks>I have materials to build an enclosed area about 20ft x10ft.How many chucks will that hold ?

[manicscousers]

we were told it depends on the size of the house, our shed is 7x5 and we were able to have 18 chickens from the hens welfare trust..our run is 22'x44  :)

[Norfolk n Proud]

Hi Grotbag,  I've built an enclosure that's approx 25 feet by 9 feet by 6 feet high with a corrugated tin roof to hopefully keep out foxy! I have 14 Ex-Batt hens and 3 rescued pure breeds, i obtained mine from a  Hen Rescue centre, and am told that what space they have, is plenty. When you consider that 5 Ex-Batts would have a space the size of a sheet  of A3 paper, For Life that may be of some help to you, good luck with whatever you decide :)

[kt.]

I have an area of 20x15.  I originally had 25 bantams when i first started.  I now have 10 hybrids that seem to lay forever,   they lay too many eggs for our needs.  When it comes to replacing them I will only get 6.  It is not the space is too small,  but I can't be chowed selling the surplus eggs. 

Decide if you want as many hens as possible in your cree and run, or do you want sufficient to provide eggs for your family.  The more you have the more often they will need cleaning too.

[goodlife]

I've got 6 large ones too and they supply me far more eggs than we can eat..so I have 3 regulars who have eggs off from me and still plenty of more to give away or barter for something else..
This time of the year I get 5 or 6 eggs everyday...but of course it all depends what you are going to with yours...will you need more than that?
Oh..and like KT said..there is plenty of cleaning with 6 hens never mind having shed full ::)

[ipt8]

I would say a trio of large hens or a few more small breed hens or Bantams, but in my experience the bantams can be flighty. The problem is the ground gets bare if you have too many hens, its not nice for them on bare soil but I know people do it.

[PaulaB]

we were told it depends on the size of the house, our shed is 7x5 and we were able to have 18 chickens from the hens welfare trust..our run is 22'x44  :)

Now this is what is confusing me I have been told that a 7by 6 coop has only enough room for about 6 hens so how many birds will it hold?

[grannyjanny]

Our hen coop is approx 1mtr sq & it was sold as an 8 hen coop. We have 4 bantams & because they stopped laying in August we got a couple of Speckeldys.

[goodlife]

Paula....it all depends how much perch room you have for them.
Your girls are going to spend most of the time outdoors and only roost and lay indoors..well generally that is.
I always measure the space with football as that is about the space each bird will need on perch..minimum..but for cockerel double the space..
Don't forget that you will need nest boxes too..one for every 3 or 4 birds....minimum
But it all depends as well what else you are going keep in their coop...are you going to store feed or bedding etc.

[PaulaB]

What do you think of this coop?

http://www.smithssectionalbuildings.co.uk/go/products/medium-poultry-housing/the-sherwood-poultry-house/

[birdsrfun]

I've kept chickens for a while now and if you are not going to allow your birds to free range they reckon one metre square per bird is sufficient. The ground inside the run will be a mud pit and rather smelly very quickly so would advise putting down either some sort off chipped bark which will need regular changing or concrete base with some straw on top (not hay, it is not good for chickens) which you can clean and hose down but will give them something to scratch at or they will get bored and start pecking at each other. Good luck.

[birdsrfun]

Hi,, yesterday I posted a reply saying I thought 1sq metre should be allowed but now after reading article in new mag. they recommend 2sq. metres per bird, thought I had better update.

[gazzaroo]

i have 7 hens in at 8 by 4 hen house that iv made .
my run is 8 by 14 feet long all mesh roof and sides and get about 5 eggs a day,

i have the same for my 5 duck with a pool and get 4 eggs every day