How many birds can fit "comfortably"

[p4PaDuck]

Roosting bars? If they are nesting bars, you don’t need ALL that nesting space not even for 20+ hens, you just need like 10 boxes max

But if it is roosting bars, 1ft of roosting space per chicken, minimum, roosters need more hens less. For bantams I have no clue but I would have more on purpose

 

[EdgeC]

Roosting bars? If they are nesting bars, you don’t need ALL that nesting space not even for 20+ hens, you just need like 10 boxes max

roosting bars... where they sleep not where they lay... and a lot of people bitched about the 1ft per bird rule

 

[p4PaDuck]

roosting bars... where they sleep not where they lay... and a lot of people bitched about the 1ft per bird rule

Oh. Sorry

 

[Double Yolked]

When making my coops I've always calculated a little extra space per bird since there's always at least one or two birds that will fuss at each other.
The one foot per bird rule on roosting bars is good for regular sized birds unless you have social issues then you'll want 16" and possibly two separated roost ladders.
Also, the number of birds radically changes depending on temperament, size and breeds. Bigger birds obviously need more space while feisty but smaller breeds also need more. a Barnevelder who is wilder and more flighty will need more space in the hen house than an Orpington who is pretty placid.

 

[EdgeC]

When making my coops I've always calculated a little extra space per bird since there's always at least one or two birds that will fuss at each other.
The one foot per bird rule on roosting bars is good for regular sized birds unless you have social issues then you'll want 16" and possibly two separated roost ladders.
Also, the number of birds radically changes depending on temperament, size and breeds. Bigger birds obviously need more space while feisty but smaller breeds also need more. a Barnevelder who is wilder and more flighty will need more space in the hen house than an Orpington who is pretty placid.

I would prob just eat/sell the birds with temperament issues... same thing I do with roosters. Whole chicken can fit in a quart jar. I just want the others to have enough space to be happy. I provide food and just planted a few blueberry trees (4 feet off the ground is where the foilage/fruit grows) so they can hide under them and eat the fruit that drops. Seems to be doing well, the goal being to add more cover. It's already under the forest canopy as I live in nowhere.

 

[Double Yolked]

I would prob just eat/sell the birds with temperament issues... same thing I do with roosters. Whole chicken can fit in a quart jar. I just want the others to have enough space to be happy. I provide food and just planted a few blueberry trees (4 feet off the ground is where the foilage/fruit grows) so they can hide under them and eat the fruit that drops. Seems to be doing well, the goal being to add more cover. It's already under the forest canopy as I live in nowhere.

I raise for eggs not meat so a calm flock is a profitable flock. It's worth it to me to do what ever keeps the ladies happy. I get about 300 eggs a year per hen, give or take 50. Works out to about $100 a year profit per hen. Too expensive to toss a hen in the freezer unless she's really a bad hen. I don't get many of those since I specialize in Orpingtons.
Blueberries is a great idea. I planted a grape vine next to my run to provide shelter and protection. It grew so large, wide and long, it made a roof over the entire run and they eat any grapes that fall. They loved it! And it kept the flying predators from seeing my flock.

 

[p4PaDuck]

I would prob just eat/sell the birds with temperament issues... same thing I do with roosters.

Me too. My flock is happy and my stomach is appreciative of all the mean birds. I only sell hens meant for selling

 

[paintedChix]

EdgeC - what state are you in? I, too, am in Zone 7 (sandhills, NC).

Based on your coop size, I'm thinking 25 is your max number. I was at max during Hurricane Florence. They couldn't be free ranged or out in numerous tractors, that were either directly damaged or couldnt be moved due to debri in our yard/pasture, as changed predator level was horrendous. The birds turned on each other in boredom & anger (? - roos not normally together). More than one hen was pecked to her death & others were stressed more from running from coop mates than from storm itself. Several roos killed each other - either directly fighting or thru heat stroke when quit fighting. My numbers didn't go down during the hurricane, but AFTER due to overcrowded accomodations.

Your large run is awesome for that # of birds.

Have you considered any types of tractors combined with paddock/free ranging?

Are you planning on clan mating all of your different breeds? If so, you would definitely want additional coops/runs for at least the breeding season to keep the individual breeds/lines "pure". If able to keep coops/runs same size for that number of chickens, great! Or a smaller flock size per group would allow for smaller coops/runs...

I would LOVE to work with both the breeds you mentioned - especially as you improve meat producing qualities w/I them. I've had both breeds as hatchery stock - they were neither good egg producers & actually poor "meaties" who took much longer than "frankenchickens" to get to any weight for table birds.... very disappointing, actually, considering they are dual purpose breeds (Australorps & Brahmas). Which variety of Brahma do you have? You may have said & I missed it... Have you considered Blue Australorp?

I'm a little jealous! I'd love to be able to have that type of incubator and hatcher. Currently, we have 6 adults in my family & 2 grandsons whom are all heavy chicken eaters. The dogs (6 total) & cats (10 total) would be able to be fed more fresh chicken if we had a better hatching system. I do know there are other breeders in NC using cabinet incubators & hatching/selling chicks. Some are making strides in improving thier own flocks as well as the chicks/ducks that they are selling!! I don't know any that are producing Australorps or Brahmas.

With the numbers of chicks you are talking about, you'll need/want a sheltered (climate controlled?) brooder area w/ separate brooders for different ages as well as breeds (?) of chicks. Then you'll also want coop/run or tractors to do the growouts - both ones you are keeping & others you may be selling...

Besides "making your own" meaties, there are now other breeds of meat chickens you can raise, besides Cornish cross.

As an owner that has done some breeding/hatching (not currently), I like knowing which flock my chicks are from. Being able to purchase different & separate lines from one breeder is great! I hate getting "purebred" chicks from someone only to have some feather in differently & finding out the parents of two flocks were free ranged or got loose together. Especially when those purebred chicks may not be the greatest & were VERY expensive for me. If I had wanted mixed chicks, I could have purchased locally (same town, on the way home from work) rather than traveling many hours cross state, setting up brooder in hotel room since couldn't drive any longer...

In our area, there are currently a LOT of mixed chicks for sale at low prices. I don't know if these sellers are selling all thier chicks.

 

[EdgeC]

EdgeC - what state are you in? I, too, am in Zone 7 (sandhills, NC).

Based on your coop size, I'm thinking 25 is your max number. I was at max during Hurricane Florence. They couldn't be free ranged or out in numerous tractors, that were either directly damaged or couldnt be moved due to debri in our yard/pasture, as changed predator level was horrendous. The birds turned on each other in boredom & anger (? - roos not normally together). More than one hen was pecked to her death & others were stressed more from running from coop mates than from storm itself. Several roos killed each other - either directly fighting or thru heat stroke when quit fighting. My numbers didn't go down during the hurricane, but AFTER due to overcrowded accomodations.

Your large run is awesome for that # of birds.

Have you considered any types of tractors combined with paddock/free ranging?

Are you planning on clan mating all of your different breeds? If so, you would definitely want additional coops/runs for at least the breeding season to keep the individual breeds/lines "pure". If able to keep coops/runs same size for that number of chickens, great! Or a smaller flock size per group would allow for smaller coops/runs...

I would LOVE to work with both the breeds you mentioned - especially as you improve meat producing qualities w/I them. I've had both breeds as hatchery stock - they were neither good egg producers & actually poor "meaties" who took much longer than "frankenchickens" to get to any weight for table birds.... very disappointing, actually, considering they are dual purpose breeds (Australorps & Brahmas). Which variety of Brahma do you have? You may have said & I missed it... Have you considered Blue Australorp?

I'm a little jealous! I'd love to be able to have that type of incubator and hatcher. Currently, we have 6 adults in my family & 2 grandsons whom are all heavy chicken eaters. The dogs (6 total) & cats (10 total) would be able to be fed more fresh chicken if we had a better hatching system. I do know there are other breeders in NC using cabinet incubators & hatching/selling chicks. Some are making strides in improving thier own flocks as well as the chicks/ducks that they are selling!! I don't know any that are producing Australorps or Brahmas.

With the numbers of chicks you are talking about, you'll need/want a sheltered (climate controlled?) brooder area w/ separate brooders for different ages as well as breeds (?) of chicks. Then you'll also want coop/run or tractors to do the growouts - both ones you are keeping & others you may be selling...

Besides "making your own" meaties, there are now other breeds of meat chickens you can raise, besides Cornish cross.

As an owner that has done some breeding/hatching (not currently), I like knowing which flock my chicks are from. Being able to purchase different & separate lines from one breeder is great! I hate getting "purebred" chicks from someone only to have some feather in differently & finding out the parents of two flocks were free ranged or got loose together. Especially when those purebred chicks may not be the greatest & were VERY expensive for me. If I had wanted mixed chicks, I could have purchased locally (same town, on the way home from work) rather than traveling many hours cross state, setting up brooder in hotel room since couldn't drive any longer...

In our area, there are currently a LOT of mixed chicks for sale at low prices. I don't know if these sellers are selling all thier chicks.

Light brahma, yes the incubator has its own room. I also have a few brooders (inside) for going from hatcher to brooder. I also have a few larger brooders outside, for ages 2-6weeks while they feather out.

 

[teach1rusl]

I’m latching onto the word “comfortably”. In the northern states, my limiting factor would be the housing. Speaking for myself (Indiana)…my birds are NOT fans of cold weather, and especially snow; they spend a LOT more time inside the housing in the winter (very windy in my area for most of the winter, which makes it worse). So I definitely like having more indoor space for them…all of our coops offer at least 4 sq ft/bird (most offer more).

But in states that have very mild winters, or no winters really, the birds really are ONLY indoors at night (and to lay eggs). So I could see the housing space going down to 2 sq ft per bird in those areas, as long as there is ample roost space.

For either North or South, the 10 sq ft per bird you often see suggested for RUN SPACE is a minimum number only…not what I consider ‘comfortable’.

So in my opinion, 25 or so birds in your set-up sounds ‘comfortable’…plenty of room in the coop and plenty of room in the run. The higher the stocking density, the more parasite issues you’ll deal with…the more stress your birds will deal with…the more bullying type behaviors you’ll see.