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

[ChickyWick]

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.

I’m using large bodied heritage breeds because cornish cross grow so quickly they’re in pain. I won’t do it again.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I’m using large bodied heritage breeds because cornish cross grow so quickly they’re in pain. I won’t do it again.

Just be aware that some of those "large body heritage" breeds are slow growers - like my Dark Brahma. made terrible meat birds. the Silver lace, which were a heritage bird bred to be better bird than the Dark Brahma were honestly no better, as a practical matter.

 

[ChickyWick]

Just be aware that some of those "large body heritage" breeds are slow growers - like my Dark Brahma. made terrible meat birds. the Silver lace, which were a heritage bird bred to be better bird than the Dark Brahma were honestly no better, as a practical matter.

Yeah, I’ve done meat birds before.

Delaware were bred to be meat birds and some lines still mature to between 6.5 and 8.5lbs at just 14 weeks. They don’t have the genetic conditions Cornish cross do and still have white skin so they process beautifully. They taste much better than cornish cross imo and I can breed them myself each year.

I’ve had both and Delaware are my preferred.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yeah, I’ve done meat birds before.

Delaware were bred to be meat birds and some lines still mature to between 6.5 and 8.5lbs at just 14 weeks. They don’t have the genetic conditions Cornish cross do and still have white skin so they process beautifully. They taste much better than cornish cross imo and I can breed them myself each year.

I’ve had both and Delaware are my preferred.

If I could find Delaware like that, I'd be pleased too. They aren't coming from the local Tractor Supply or Ace, that's for certain!

 

[paintedChix]

What is an IME ?

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

I’m 63 and not into all these … letters

I hope you don't get offended by my "laff like". I am in the same "boat".

I grew up navy brat, was army then an army spouse. I learned both shorthand & a "pigeon" shorthand that was faster for me to learn, faster to write & faster(for me) to re-interpret to write out while in both jr & sr high school. Used in a couple of my 1st jobs. When fully army, I learned all the acronyms (letters for words). Since I was learning electronics, I also learned binary code (0s& 1s for letters - uhh, VERY TEDIOUS). A group of friends & my hubby to be often used binary code to write notes & even whole letters back & forth. Surprisingly, I "sucked" at Morse Code and learning new languages? Well, didn't happen...

Flash forward to computers & tech.

After, we returned to USA, we(I) bred ponies. Often had mixed breeds & sometimes many different than the Shetlands. I had an AOL email & have had websites on different platforms. To this day, Google & I DO NOT get along. From 2005 - 2012, while a receptionist at front of a small web design business i was forbidden to utilize Google searches on "my" computer as what Google pulled up was often bizarre &/or very offensive. To this day, I never search single word "pony", as I get pages of disturbing & disgusting stuff before any four legged equine show up...

W/ Twitter, Facebook & personal cell phones, all NEW acronyms showed up. I struggle. I think I hate. Taken forever to learn & remember common ones on this forum (i had tables for years, lost during a computer crash before laptops & tablets). Longest time - i struggled w/ (a form of shorthand!) FWIW...

Now there are new ones again, can't remember what one was, both hubs & daughter had to explain it. Their definition WAS NOT on 1st page of Google & when I found it, I did not understand what it meant. Something to do w/ mannerisms? I can't even remember the actual 4 or was it 5 letters!?!

So, I GET IT!!

 

[paintedChix]

Yeah, I’ve done meat birds before.

Delaware were bred to be meat birds and some lines still mature to between 6.5 and 8.5lbs at just 14 weeks. They don’t have the genetic conditions Cornish cross do and still have white skin so they process beautifully. They taste much better than cornish cross imo and I can breed them myself each year.

I’ve had both and Delaware are my preferred.

I'm happy to learn this as I'm working on procuring a couple different lines of Delaware for meat birds.

 

[ChookaPete]

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.

I also get confused with this. To me, the Coop is where my seven chickens roost for the night. At the moment their coop is approx. 2.5m long by 2m wide, and about 2.5m high.

I want to expand it to 3m x 3m x 2.5m, so I can fit another perch in there for them and upcoming chickens to roost on, plus some nests.



During the day my chooks forage across the backyard and front yard, which is approximately 400 square metres. As there is fencing all around, it all adds up to quite a big chicken run!



EDIT: I thought letting them forage all day long in my yards meant they were free-ranging, however my house is surrounded by 2-metre high corrugated iron fencing on three sides, and a strong wire fence with wooden picket gate at the front. The gate is kept locked. So I basically have made my whole yard into a big chicken run, of which I live inside of too!

 

[ashesfallingdown]

EDIT: I thought letting them forage all day long in my yards meant they were free-ranging, however my house is surrounded by 2-metre high corrugated iron fencing on three sides, and a strong wire fence with wooden picket gate at the front. The gate is kept locked. So I basically have made my whole yard into a big chicken run, of which I live inside of too!

Ha, me too! I built a large structure that I can walk in fully. On one end, there is 4x6 "shelf" on which their Eglu Cube rests. There is a roost ladder going up to the shelf, and the area below the shelf I can cordon off for sick birds or new birds. They live inside the whole structure and can move through it freely.

The structure is inside my fenced yard, which I let them out into on all good weather days. I call that "free ranging" but I guess it's just a big pen that we all hang out in together!

 

[AuntiePatriciaUSA]

PLEASE NO MORE LETTERS - USE WORDS !

Plz

What is "Plz"?

 

[DobieLover]

What is "Plz"?

Sarcasm.