Your Chicken House

[lorihadams]

Ours is a 4x6 and we have 10. Ours is up on stilts so they can go under the coop in bad weather....but they never do. They free range from whenever my children wake me up until dark.

I have 3 nesting boxes for them. We have 4 indian runners in a rabbit hutch and my birds are too lazy to climb the higher ramp to their boxes and are currently laying in the duck nest.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

I think the term is "processed..."

Ahem. I believe the correct term is "culled". (I'm pretty sure I have seen this actual argument )

HA! i think i may have seen that also. but ahem.. *beats chest* most of them folks dont even do their own processing. HA!

or maybe they think that processing means having them fluff dried at the pet groomers so they can carry their hens around in a purse.

HA just kidding.(kinda)

yeah um soo... we pile them in shoulder to shoulder and butt to butt. everyone has room to perch on a roost, on 2 levels.. and no one gets pooped on. but like Free, they are outside all day. I think i have 2 mommas and 12 half grown chicks + 3 half grown hens in an 8x8..and the rest of the rabble in the other 8x8 coop.. all inside the hen house. not sure how many we have left, after that whole fox thing and all.

VickiLynn that is so cute! i love your 'fresh eggs' sign!

 

[VickiLynn]

VickiLynn that is so cute! i love your 'fresh eggs' sign!

My 9-year old son did that.

 

[mrbstephens]

Ours is a 4x6 and we have 10. Ours is up on stilts so they can go under the coop in bad weather....but they never do. They free range from whenever my children wake me up until dark.

I have 3 nesting boxes for them. We have 4 indian runners in a rabbit hutch and my birds are too lazy to climb the higher ramp to their boxes and are currently laying in the duck nest.

I have the same as you. 4x6 with 10 hens and 3 nesting boxes up on stilts. A run that is 10x18. They free range from 8:00 am till noonish then they spend the rest of the time in the run. They're ruining whatever was left of my lawn!

 

[MorelCabin]

Here in Canada, when you order laying hens, they tell you to insure 2 sq ft per bird...and they don't free range all year up here...I can guarrantee you that!
Now I must admit, I started with 2 sq ft per bird, and it works, but it gets awfully smelly and you end up with a lot of ruffled and picked feathers...BUT if I were actually depending on them for full time food in a SHTF scenerio, I would go back to that idea in a minute! Cause you don't end up with any less eggs
4 sq ft per bird is less feather picking, but obviously less eggs as well...
In a world where everything is perfect, sure give em 4 sq ft, plus 10 in the run...but as a survival thing...no way

 

[BarredBuff]

Thanks guys and gals!!