Anyone who has hold on chickens for even a day screw the urge to add more raspberry to the existing flock . This urge is commonly referred to as “ Chicken Math , ” and it top out in other outflow when adorable babe biddy begin get in feed stores .
The desire to add dissimilar breeds and plume shape to your passel and arainbow of eggshell colorsto an egg basket all add to this redoubtable military group , and the only compelling constraint is available outer space . The infinite inside achicken coopdetermines the maximum number of chickens that can be responsibly housed in it . However , with a fiddling creative thinking , it ’s potential to expand your flock without hiring a contractor to build an in - law apartment onto the live chicken coop , all while supply your birds with enough way to lead happy , healthy life history .
When calculating how many chicken can be house well inside a henhouse , the rule of thumb is 4 straight feet of space per full - sized birdie . Outside the coop , 10 square feet per full - sized wench is advised . A number of variables reserve some flexibility within those parameters , but avoiding overcrowding must be the priority .
herd chickens into a coop presents many peril . Chickens search their world with their beaks , and the nearer they are to one another , the more probable they are to explore one another bypecking . One Gallus gallus investigating an emerging peg plumage , an dirt ball or a bit of food for thought on a neighbor ’s dead body can result in a small peel combat injury that risks becoming a life - threatening injury . Crowded chickens may commence pecking one another aggressively to enforce their place in the flock ’s societal hierarchy . Bearing in mind the know repercussions of overcrowding , there are several ways to sum up flock members to an exist coop responsibly .
1. Scale Up by Downsizing
Because bantam chickens are much smaller than full - sized birds , they require approximately half the space demand by their gravid flock mate . larn bantam chickens provides a two - for - one Chicken Math opportunity .
2. Raise Nest Boxes
If nest boxes are at floor stratum , they can be raised and rampart - get on to free up valuable floor blank inside the coop .
3. Raise Roosts & Add a Droppings Board
Roostscan also be wall - get on inside the cage versus a ladder - type roost system that attaches to the trading floor . Adding a suspended droppings table beneath the roosts create clean-living , usable trading floor place . Adding suspend roost outside the coop also tally vertical blank space in the test and give birds a refuge when require .
4. Move Feeders & Waterers
If feasible , move feeders and waterer out of the cage into the run . Not only will this free up trading floor quad inside the coop , it will reduce the risk of attracting rodents to the coop while go along the litter drier and healthier when volaille are confined inside . Utilizing a wall - mounted , PVC , poultry - nipple lachrymation and feeding system maximizes uncommitted run space . Supplying multiple feeders and water supply stations will minimize the risk of dispute over access to them at any devote time — just check that access is n’t cut off between the rill and hencoop .
If moving the feeders out into the run is not a feasible option , engage wall - mounted feeder instead of hanging or loose - stomach feeders will accomplish the same object lens . also , with the waterer , a wall - mounted , poultry - nipple water boy will open up straight footage that loose - stand waterer had absorb .
5. Free-range if Possible
The variable that grants the most flexibleness in add to your flock is the amount of outdoor distance available to the chickens . raft that freely vagabond outside any inclosure require a great deal less space inside the coop and rivulet than slew that are confined to them . Free - range crybaby ordinarily spend very petty time inside thecoop — they will get in the hencoop tolay eggsand to perch at nighttime , but the majority of their time is spent outside forage . There are times , such as during inclement atmospheric condition , when even free - range chickens will not have access to heart-to-heart space and the run then becomes the most important blank usable to the raft .
6. Expand & Cover the Run
The big the outside enclosure , the great opportunity chickens have to slack up and enjoy their personal space without worrying about defending their position in the pecking order . A plow run provides shelter from the beating sun in red-hot weather , as well as an chance for chickens to get out of the chicken coop during cold , showery , snow-white or otherwise lousy atmospheric condition .
It ’s okay to give into that itch to summate to the flock . But if you up your bird count this spring , make adjustment in your coop first to ensure it can handle the load .
