My baby Chicks Ada,OK

[DobieLover]

Hello Peggy, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
As has already been mentioned, that coop is WAY too small for 8 birds. I wouldn't house more than 2 in it and only if the run was greatly expanded.
Standard sized (LF) chickens need 3.5-4 sq ft of floor space, 1 linear foot of roost space and at least 12 sq ft (15+ is far better) of run space per bird. The coop should also offer as close as possible to 1 sq ft of permanently open ventilation per bird with the vast majority of that being a minimum of a foot over their heads.

 

[Callender Girl]

Yes, Peggy, previous posters being helpful and correct when they say that your birds will outgrow the pre-fab coop.

However, maybe we are making the assumption that you don't have a Plan B for when they move outdoors? After all, I doubt you intend for them to live forever in your garage. Although I applaud anyone who has that much open space in their garage

My latest "flock" of 13-week-old youngsters are housed at night in what is truly by non-commercial standards, a coop that is "too small." However, they spend all the daylight hours loose in their run or in the fenced-in portion of the yard. At night, they happily put themselves to bed in their "nursery." I think the closeness makes them feel secure.

As they grow, they soon will be moved into my large avatar coop -- an incredibly sturdy and fairly well-built coop, but which is marketed as being able to house Many More chickens than I've ever kept in it. The hens that live there now, down to just four girls, will move into a smaller coop. (Yeah, I seem to collect chickens AND coops).

In my experience, chickens will let you know what they need and when they need it if you let them. Crowded birds will develop obviously bad habits, like pecking at each other's butts. At this point, your babies are getting what they most need -- your care and concern for their welfare!

 

[N F C]

Hi Peggy, the previous greeters have provided some good info so I'll just say thanks for joining!

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Your babies are adorable! As stated above, you will probably have to move up to a larger coop to accommodate all your birds as they grow. If you have any questions about things along the way, be sure to ask.

Welcome to our community!