My neighbor told me I was overcrowding my coop and it hit hard

I had 8 hens in a 4x6 coop and thought it was fine. My neighbor Bill, who's kept birds for 20 years, said they needed 4 square feet each minimum inside. I measured it out and realized they only had 3 square feet per bird. Swapped to a 6x8 coop last month and the pecking order fights stopped almost overnight. Anyone else get a reality check on space requirements?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jamie1mo ago

That Bill sounds like he knows his stuff. It's amazing how much difference that extra space makes, not just for the birds but for your peace of mind too. I had a similar wake-up call when a local 4-H leader pointed out my run was way too small for the number of birds I had.

martin.jamie1mo ago

Hold on, you sure that 4-H leader wasn't talking about your coop size instead of the run?