Space required for raising chickens in pens

[Ray987]

Hello everyone

After my horrible experience with diseases wiping out half my flock I decided to start over but this time I'm wanting to try to raise chickens on wire (pens, cages) I have a 3.5m x 8m (28 square meters or 300~ square foot) (concrete floor and roof) got 4 windows and 2 doors, I'm planning to start with 2 pens each would be 4 square meters (4x1) and for height it would be 50-70cm
I plan to add more pens later on but for now just 2 to start with, I'm gonna be starting with Egyptian fayoumi breed, it's currently winter and it's around 10c inside the room and it's a bit humid (60 to 80% can be lowered by adding some bedding I assume)
I plan to keep them indoors their whole life probably maybe let them free range in spring and summer only because when winter starts backyard flocks starts dying here with respiratory symptoms, always this time of the year people start losing their flocks over here and I can't figure out why, anyways please share your thoughts about raising chickens on wire in an enclosure, I know it's better to let them free range in a big run but my goal is to avoid this year end massacre that happens every year...how many chickens i can fit in this barn comfortably? And thanks

 

[NewcoopNewpoop]

I had read winter respiratory issues were usually due to being in humid coops during the winter.
Chickens dont mind cold if they are cold hardy, what makes them ill is being cold AND damp.
Breathing cold damp air in a poorly ventilated coop with the fumes from their excrement being more concentrated inside during the winters... because they spend less time outside. Recipe for illness.

 

[Ray987]

I had read winter respiratory issues were usually due to being in humid coops during the winter.
Chickens dont mind cold if they are cold hardy, what makes them ill is being cold AND damp.
Breathing cold damp air in a poorly ventilated coop with the fumes from their excrement being more concentrated inside during the winters... because they spend less time outside. Recipe for illness.

Yep it's very humid over here during winter, not just inside the coop but outside too, what do you recommend? What's some methods to reduce humidity inside the coop

It make sense what you said, during spring and summer chickens thrive over here, once winter starts (high humidity kicks in due to rain) also we live close to the beach, also I want to mention that adult chickens are doing fine it seems it's chicks under 6~ months old that gets effected the most

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Where is "over here?"

 

[Ray987]

Where is "over here?"

Syrian Coast

 

[NewcoopNewpoop]

I am not sure outside of something that would create a fire hazard (Dehumidifier).
But I would allow airflow somehow in the coop, that does not affect where they roost. You want controlled airflow to facilitate the exchange of old and new air. But not blowing on your chickens at night.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I had read winter respiratory issues were usually due to being in humid coops during the winter.
Chickens dont mind cold if they are cold hardy, what makes them ill is being cold AND damp.
Breathing cold damp air in a poorly ventilated coop with the fumes from their excrement being more concentrated inside during the winters... because they spend less time outside. Recipe for illness.

Seems that keeping their area clean would be very important if they are kept in cages and especially if they crowded. OP says they would not be spending ANY time outside, apparently. You don't want that poop piling up! Ventilation is very important.

 

[aart]

always this time of the year people start losing their flocks over here

Any idea just what this disease is?
I would't think that keeping them confined to a concrete coop with negligible ventilation would help with any kind of respiratory disease.
Is it avian flu that you are trying to keep them from?
Is it floating in the air or are there other ways of contamination to deal with...like maybe the stock you buy already has it?

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[thistlewick]

So you have a 300 square foot barn and you want to sub-divide with smaller wire pens inside this enclosure?


Each bird needs 10 square foot of space and 1 foot of roosting space, *minimum*

You get less and less problems between birds the more space they have.

So just do the math for your pens.

 

[Ray987]

Any idea just what this disease is?
I would't think that keeping them confined to a concrete coop with negligible ventilation would help with any kind of respiratory disease.
Is it avian flu that you are trying to keep them from?
Is it floating in the air or are there other ways of contamination to deal with...like maybe the stock you buy already has it?

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3997554

Located in Syria (Syrian Coast)

I have no clue what it is, locally they say it's Newcastle but it's not, I've done necropsy and I haven't seen anything indicating Newcastle disease, symptoms are lethargy, sneezing, snoring and in extreme cases gasping for air, the big chickens (6~ months) seem to be doing fine based on what I've seen if they got any symptoms it would be very mild and they survive very well, it's mostly effecting less than 6 months old (like 1-4 months old chicks) I've looked at others flocks and it's the same big. Chickens are fine, and yes concrete coops are very humid here mine reads 80% humidity during the night around 60% during the day

I have 3 neighbors around me first one has all big chickens they got no issues, second neighbor with different ages big chickens also doing fine but the smaller ones showing symptoms but no deaths yet, my flock was mostly under 5 month old except for 15 big hens and roosters which are doing fine as for the little ones I has 2-7 deaths daily for a week now I'm left with just big ones and very few mid ones which

I want to note that when it all started I isolated 1 rooster and 1 hen (around 4-5 months old) and started treating them with Tylosin + enrofloxacin it took around 15-20 days of treatment and they're now doing fine with my bigger chickens however the same treatment did not work on the flock no matter what I try they just never got better and deaths only increased

When spring is here as I mentioned chickens would thrive I've even hatched and raised chicks without any supplemental heat