[jony worrall]

hi there again ive got my coop and run all finished but still no girls in it yet.how many girls can i have in the coop and run,it is 8feet by 4feet thats the run and the coop is 5feet by 3feet, i'm still new to all this so i did'nt want to put too many inn and over croud and make them sad,or have too less and have them cold in the coop,iv'e made it a good size,and when we in they can have a potter round the garden aswell,

[joyfull]

sadly that run is way too small, it is only big enough for 3 hens (at less than 1 square meter per bird). You really should allow a minimum of 2 square meters (and ideally 3 sq mtrs) of clear run space for each bird. The only way round this is to buy bantam chickens and move your coop and run around every few days so they have fresh ground and grass to eat.

[chasechicken]

I'd always say to get 3 hens minimum just so that if you lose one you're not stuck with a lonely girl.  It's also just a nice number; I don't like even numbers ...

Anyway - I think that at an absolute push you may squeeze three in your run, but it's not ideal.  If they're getting a run-around most days then it may make it a bit better.  The coop itself however will house considerably more but they tend not to make use if it during the day unless the weather is bad / they're laying.

Are you able to extend the run at all?  How often will you be in so they can go out (and.. note that they WILL destroy your garden, in unimaginable ways!!)