Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: alexroyall85 on February 05, 2017, 12:01

Title: How many hens can I keep
Post by: alexroyall85 on February 05, 2017, 12:01
Afternoon all

Just a quick check. My run is 64 square metres and was just wondering how many I can keep in it

Thanks in advance

Alex
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: grinling on February 05, 2017, 14:58
recommended is 1 hen per square meter. The run needs to be fully enclosed from wild birds, so unless mesh is very tiny to stop wrens/sparrows, you will need additional covering. The top needs to be solid to stop bird droppings.
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: New shoot on February 05, 2017, 18:12
The minimum is 1 square metre per bird, but that's pretty cramped.  Most of us allow much more than that. 

What kind of hens do you want and what size coop have you got, or are you trying to work out what to buy depending on the answers you get?  If you go for hybrid layers, you can expect an egg almost daily for the first year at least, so think about how many eggs you actually need.  A few hens in a spacious run would make them happy and be easier for you to keep clean.

Sorry to fire questions back at you, but it will help us to advise you better  :)
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: alexroyall85 on February 06, 2017, 17:54
Hi at the moment I have 3 hybrid browns a French maram and six Rhode Island reds.


Was just wondering if I can have anymore with the size of run I have?
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: grinling on February 06, 2017, 18:21
yes, but always quarantine the new hens for a few weeks, and with possible avian flu then quarantine well away from your current flock. Biosecurity will be very important when 2 different sites are in use.
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: alexroyall85 on February 06, 2017, 18:28
I won't be getting anymore until the avian ban has been lifted hopefully at the end of the month.

Just trying to plan ahead
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: New shoot on February 06, 2017, 21:06
Wise move to wait.  You should still quarantine new birds as a safeguard.

Space-wise, your run will hold more birds, but consider the size of the housing, whether there will be enough nest boxes and what breed you are getting. 

There is a ton of advice and information on the main site. It may be worth a look  :)

http://www.chickens.allotment-garden.org/keeping-chickens/
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Beekissed on February 08, 2017, 06:46
Most folk allow a square meter or more for each bird in the coop, three square meters or more for each bird in the run.  Anything less and you run into trouble with feather picking, bullying, cannibalism, health issues, etc.   

Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: ghost61 on February 08, 2017, 07:18
I think a square metre per hen in the coop is unrealistic for most people.  I have an eglu go that is less than a metre squared and my three hens are happy in that, and it could accommodate four large hens.  My hens only sleep and lay in the coop.  They rarely go in it even if there's bad weather.  The important aspect is the run and making sure that you have several feeding/water stations and pecker blocks/greens hanging around to keep them amused.  A deep litter floor is great as they can scratch about for bugs etc and also create their own dust baths. Perches in the run are a must too.
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Beekissed on February 08, 2017, 15:35
Quote
I think a square metre per hen in the coop is unrealistic for most people.

Is that due to having no space for larger coops or is it just preference? 

 I read many, many threads on several different forums~this one especially~ about people with small coops and runs experiencing social issues with the chicken flocks and most, if not all, can be eliminated by more space. 
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: alexroyall85 on February 08, 2017, 19:24
I always think the more space you can give them the better
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: snowdrops on February 08, 2017, 20:06
Quote
I think a square metre per hen in the coop is unrealistic for most people.

Is that due to having no space for larger coops or is it just preference? 

 I read many, many threads on several different forums~this one especially~ about people with small coops and runs experiencing social issues with the chicken flocks and most, if not all, can be eliminated by more space.

I think it is mainly due to our housing stock not having gardens that allow for larger hen housing
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: New shoot on February 08, 2017, 21:36
I think 1 metre per bird in the coop is not really needed.  I have covered runs, so mine only go in to lay eggs and sleep, when they hunch up together anyway.

I would rather use the room for extra run space, as that's where they spend their waking hours digging big holes for me to fall in, preening and generally mucking about.
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Sassy on February 09, 2017, 09:54
It is important to consider ventilation in the coop.  :)
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: ghost61 on February 09, 2017, 10:55
If you want to provide a square metre per bird in the coop, then for my three I would need a 1x3 metre coop - that's about 3 ft x 9 ft!  Goodness knows what they would do with that space - I've read that having too large a coop is bad - so as long as your birds are happy - and happy birds lay eggs, then I don't really think that you need to worry about the coop  (apart from making sure that it is dry, ventilated and free of mites etc) - my birds want to run around outside all day, so run size is important.  They have been remarkably well behaved during their confinement given that they usually have the run of the garden.  They have about 9 sq metres to run about in, plus perches.

I do think that if you have a bully amongst your flock, they will be a bully regardless of the space provided -coop or run.
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Beekissed on February 09, 2017, 21:58
I have a 10 ft. x 12 ft. coop for my 13 birds and even that feels crowded when they are confined by deep snows.  It serves as a coop/run at those times, as mine free range and don't have a run attached. 
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Sassy on February 11, 2017, 10:07
Bit confused by this thread. Is there some mix up between the house they live in and their run?  ???

Too much room in the house is not so good as it is harder for them to keep warm in winter. However, the larger the run the better.

I agree you can get a bully however much space they have but behavioural issues can and are caused by lack of space in the run. There are lots of differing management systems and if it works for your hens that is fine - as long as it does. There are so many variables re breed, size and temperament as well. Some breeds do not take to a confined run so research is key. The guidelines are just that that, guidelines and are only minimum measurements. I, personally,  would not be happy with those. The more space you can give in the run the better for all birds.  :)
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: New shoot on February 11, 2017, 12:38
I don't think so really.  Beekissed is making the point that whatever area your hens are confined to, it needs to be a decent size.

Beekissed has a slightly different set up to the traditional UK one.  Her coop of 10ft x 12ft is covered, but well ventilated and she uses a deep litter composting system which keeps it warm, despite the heavy snow she can get in her part of the US.  It does double as a run when the snow gets bad and there's quite a few pictures of it in the chicken forum and her garden diary on here.

Its a system that work wells, but most of us have a smaller coop with a hopefully larger run attached.  I think we all 'get it' either way  :)
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Sassy on February 13, 2017, 16:09
My reply was not aimed at anyone in particular just that I felt there was some confusion as to whether coops or runs were being discussed. Perhaps it's just the way I read it  :wacko:
Title: Re: How many hens can I keep
Post by: Beekissed on February 15, 2017, 05:31
I don't know what kinds of weather you get there, but over here we can get a lot of snow, high winds and subzero temps here that can last a couple of weeks up to, or beyond, a couple of months.  Even with covered runs, a lot of chickens will want to huddle into the coop for a place out of the wind, blowing snow or just for warmth, so we don't often count adequate run space as being a trade off for insufficient coop space. 

Usually we err on the side of too much space rather than too little when considering possible confinement due to inclement weather.  It's also during that kind of weather when illness can be more prevalent, so too many birds confined in too small of spaces during rough weather is a recipe for trouble.  Then there is the factor of overcrowding during those times causing stress and subsequent social problems like bullying, feather picking, cannibalism, etc. 

So, when someone asks "how many hens can I keep" in X amount of space, I often err on the side of caution.  I read an awful lot of posts at this time of year about illness, bullying, feather picking and cannibalism and a huge number of those posts can be attributed to lack of adequate space for the number of hens being kept.