“Run” Vs. “Coop” in relation to square feet per bird.

[ChickyWick]

Hello everyone,

Across the web there are people calling their entire setup a “coop”. It has made it difficult for my (admittedly over-analytical) brain to figure out how much space my birds need inside the closed coop and outside in the covered run.

My permanent flock will be chickens of various breeds. Primarily based on egg color. I’ll have a Bachelor pad for my roos when they don’t need to be breeding. So primarily I will have 25 hens and 1 roo at a time in the main coop and run setup.

The bachelor pad will have up to 10 roos at a time. I’m fairly sure the bachelor pad will need more space per bird and I’ll make sure they’ll have things to occupy themselves in the run well away from the hens.

I need the inside of the coop to be as small as a 25 hen group can be happily housed and a large enough covered run for them to happy in the winter. They can free range a few hours a day in good weather.

I do plan on raising about 15 meat birds at a time, year round in a separate coop later on.

I’m not new at raising chickens. I had a really successful flock when I live in New Mexico. But after giving up twice here in Missouri in the last 5 years due to poor setups and cleaning frustrations I want to make sure I do it right this time even if building the coop takes me all year!

In case you’re thinking “this is a big endeavor, she should start slow”. I agree, but I want to be set up properly from the beginning. The flock will grow to this size over time.

Question 1) how much space per bird inside the enclosed coop?
Question 2) how much space per bird in the covered run?
Question 3) Would you recommend more space per bird in a bachelor pad and how much more?
Question 4) Can grow-out pens and coops for heritage meat birds be smaller since they’re only being raised until they’re mature size? How much space would be recommended for the meat birds if different from layers?


Thanks for taking the time to read my dissertation. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[DobieLover]

Generally speaking, for this site:

• coop=hen house=fully secured and ventilated structure for nighttime roosting and daytime egg laying.
• run=enclosed area that the chickens cannot get out of and ideally, most predators cannot get in.
• pen=a much larger area to forage with less predator protection
• free range=zero physical boundaries. The birds can go where they please with nothing stopping them. Zero predator protection unless accompanied by a LGD or equivalent.

Question 1) how much space per bird inside the enclosed coop?

It is recommended to have 4 sq ft per bird in the coop if they will have to remain in there for extended periods of time. The coop should also provide lots of ventilation high over the birds heads and some low, secure openings to permit fresh air entry and a natural air flow to remove warm, moist, stale air during confinement. General consensus is to shoot for 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation per maximum bird capacity with more that can be opened up during warm weather. You also want to target as close to 1 linear foot of unobstructed roost space per bird that is all higher than the nest boxes (which are 1 per 4-5 hens).

Question 2) how much space per bird in the covered run?

Runs should offer 12-15 sq foot of additional space per bird. All areas of the run should be accessible by humans. Most will site 10 sq ft per bird but when you are actually standing there looking at it, you realize it is inadequate space. The more space you have, the healthier it is for the birds and easier it is to maintain.

Question 3) Would you recommend more space per bird in a bachelor pad and how much more?

I would keep it the same. Just have lots of things in the run for perching on, jumping on, hiding behind and to scratch through. This goes for all runs. They shouldn't be big patches of nothing with nothing to do. This breeds boredom and boredom breeds nasty habits.

Question 4) Can grow-out pens and coops for heritage meat birds be smaller since they’re only being raised until they’re mature size?

Yes, but isn't this somewhat counter to the whole point of raising your food in humane conditions? Let them have the best life possible until they don't.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The building is the "coop".
The enclosed area excluding the building is the "run"

The "thumb rules" are 4 sq ft/bird "coop" plus 10 sq ft/bird "run". Its a thumb rule because its a gross generalization, a useful starting point, from which to make adjustments based on environment, needs, management, experience.

To some extent, an open air coop w/ attached run allows you to "blend" those spaces at less than 14 sq ft/ bd total.

"Abundance is a social lubricant". More space is almost always better. It stops being better when you can no longer manage it - not because your birds don't benefit from it.

I'm not certain what is meant by "heritage meat birds", and can't answer that. Cx will hardly move from the feeder, unless the waterer is out of reach. You can raise them in less, many do, but they aren't "heritage". The various Ranger lines are intended to, well, range. They benefit from more run space (assuming its useful forage), but are often tractored. They aren't "heritage" either. Plenty of birds I have/had are so called heritage breeds - SLW, D Brahma - once used for meat, but I'd not use them that way now. Too slow to grow. The SLW are flighty, need run space. The DB were much less so.

Can't offer specific building advice for MO, sorry.

 

[aart]

It is recommended to have 4 sq ft per bird in the coop if they will have to remain in there for extended periods of time.

IME, twice that is better if they don't have a weather proof run.

 

[Loving my girls]

free range=zero physical boundaries. The birds can go where they please with nothing stopping them. Zero predator protection unless accompanied by a LGD or equivalent.

Sorry but what is an LGD - Large Garden Dog ?

 

[Loving my girls]

IME, twice that is better if they don't have a weather proof run.

What is an IME ?

What is it with letters ? What’s wrong with words ?

I’m 63 and not into all these … letters

 

[Loving my girls]

The SLW are flighty, need run space. The DB were much less so.

Can't offer specific building advice for MO, sorry.

PLEASE NO MORE LETTERS - USE WORDS !

Plz

 

[U_Stormcrow]

PLEASE NO MORE LETTERS - USE WORDS !

Plz

IME - In My Experience

SLW - Silver Laced Wyandotte

DB - Dark Brahma

LGD - Livestock Guardian Dog (loosely, Large Guard Dog)

 

[saysfaa]

To finish the chicken related letters - Cx is Cornish cross.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Cx is Cornish cross.

aka (also known as) "Frankenchicken" and "Supermarket birds"