Chicken Coop...Kit

[hunter63]

LOL, now I wish I would have seen walmarts coop first....Oh well.
It will serve my purpose.
Thanks for the up date.

[solargeek1]

So we will be needing a coop and/or chicken tractor combo by next summer (2014) BUT looking at many on the Walmart site and some others, THEY DON'T SAY HOW MANY CHICKENS THE DARN THING accomodates!!!%%%$$$&&&***

How does one figure that out? By square feet of the whole coop? By nesting areas? Yikes, this is MATH folks. Surely there is an easy way to say "this coop holds "X" chickens" by looking at the measurements? And why haven't these dumb companies provided essential info like that? I see it in the FAQs of the coops and it is never answered!

Ok rant over.

[thywar]

SG I found this answer on a backyardchickens.com

The mainstream answer is 4 square feet indoor and 10 square feet of run for each bird.

Now having said that I can tell you that a coop that is too large in bitter cold is a bad idea. The chickens do not produce enough body heat and combs will freeze.

Too small and cleaning becomes an issue.

So in the end it is finding the balance "that works for you and your climate."

Same goes for the run size. If it is not a quick growing surface with enough sun or moisture to keep it growing they will turn an area that big into a desert.

www.backyardchickens.com/t/34001/coop-and-run-sq-feet-per-chicken

[ColcordMama]

Don't forget that bantams will need less space than larger breeds. The one I'm getting will support 3 or 4 easily.

[hunter63]

Mar 6, 2013 10:45:45 GMT -7 thywar said:

SG I found this answer on a backyardchickens.com

The mainstream answer is 4 square feet indoor and 10 square feet of run for each bird.

Now having said that I can tell you that a coop that is too large in bitter cold is a bad idea. The chickens do not produce enough body heat and combs will freeze.

Too small and cleaning becomes an issue.

So in the end it is finding the balance "that works for you and your climate."

Same goes for the run size. If it is not a quick growing surface with enough sun or moisture to keep it growing they will turn an area that big into a desert.

www.backyardchickens.com/t/34001/coop-and-run-sq-feet-per-chicken

Thanks for the info, good stuff.......Mind if I pass this along?

[thywar]

I got it off the internet so feel free to use it wherever you'd like.. happy to share

[hunter63]

thanks, just wanted to give credit where due......

[solargeek1]

Thanks so much Thywar! How did you search it? "space for chickens" or what was your search question(s)?
We are in a bitter cold area and altho we will have electric for a light, not planning on heating it. Our other thought was to simply butcher them each year before the really bad weather comes in and start over in spring. It would also free us up to travel at Christmas without any problems to see family. Not sure yet on that.
Again, thanks!

[hunter63]

How long do laying hens last?
Neighbor down the road at the place, buy the chicks, raise them up, collect eggs for a while, then butcher them...?

[thywar]

I believe (on Bing) I just typed 'how much space is required per chicken in a coop'... the link above is the one I gathered from the ANSWERS in the question asked. They were basically asking the same question you were asking and I found the above in one of the answers.

[ColcordMama]

My hens have laid eggs steadily for five years, tapering off after 4 or so but still laying a couple of times a week.

[woodyz]

We only run a small flock, max of 20. Since ours get to run loose everyday the run size doesn't matter but the 20 chickens get 20x30 run if they were locked in.

We figure three years of solid laying. So normally every two years we buy a straight run of chicks in early spring, like now and butcher half. Every fall we butcher about half of the older birds. Then in the spring we butcher the other half of the oldest birds.

But we have changed or numbers due to deciding not to keep chickens at all if SHTF. We will just keep Quail because of their smaller space and feed requirements and they are very prolific. While it might take five eggs to one chicken egg, the quail will lay 300 eggs a year and I can hatch 100 at a time every month. Plus they will be full grown and laying in 3 months vs six to nine for chickens.

Sorry got side tracked. This year we butchered all but 8 laying hens in the fall. Less to feed through the winter and six to eight eggs a day is more then we use. We have bought chicks, mixed run of 50, we will butcher all but one rooster. When these new ones start to lay we will butcher the older six and the rooster. While a rooster isn't required for eggs, as a hedge I can always hatch eggs as long as I have a rooster around.

This coming fall we will keep the twenty laying hens, 21/2 to 3 years and start again.

If SHTF we butcher or trade all the chickens.

I can keep 100 laying quail in the same area as 20 chickens, for 1/3 the feed. That's 100 eggs a day, equal to 20 chicken eggs. I can hatch out 100 roosters in 30 days and butcher them in 60.

Eggs don't go to waste, when we are not hatching for meat the oldest eggs every two weeks, not eaten, pickled, traded or sold go into batches of corn bread, shells and all, that get fed back to the quail. The egg shells give them back the calcium they need to make more egg shells and they love the corn bread

[orly152]

Mar 4, 2013 19:33:08 GMT -7 ColcordMama said:

I said I ordered the Cape Cod, but made a mistake on the name, it was the Prairie Home I got. No roosters, all hens for eggs. I've had roos before and they are a pain in the tail, crowing at all hours of the day and night. OHN!! Going to get some White Rock pullets and raise them in this new home. I'm SO excited!! FREE SHIPPING!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah, and it's going to be delivered directly to my house... not the local WalMart!!

Is this the coop you ordered ?

[ColcordMama]

No, that's the Cape Cod. I ordered the Prairie Home. It's here now, put together and with one hen living in it already. I'll try to post a photo later.

[orly152]

Oooooops, looking forward on the pic....you sure dont waist time getting things on a roll