
Hormonal chickens may need more personal space. Molting chickens may need more personal space than full-feathered chickens because they are sore and don’t feel well. These relationships change over time as friendships and enmities change, and as chickens mature.Ĭhickens have moods, and a chicken may need more personal space when she’s in a bad mood (or in a mood where she just wants peace and quiet).Ĭhickens may need more personal space when they are cooped up (no pun intended) during bad weather than when they get a lot of outside time. Consider these facts:Ĭhickens are individuals, and some will need more personal space than others at all times.Ĭhickens have complex relationships, and Chicken A may allow Chicken B to get as close to her as she wants, but will not allow Chicken C anywhere near her. One of the most important things you need to realize is that chickens’ personal space needs differ drastically, and they change over time. When you’re trying to figure out how many square feet per chicken your coop needs, you’ll find a lot of estimates that don’t take chickens’ personal space needs into account. However, many people don’t realize that, just like other social animals (including humans), chickens have personal space bubbles. Everyone knows chickens are social animals and need to be part of a flock for their mental well being. Many first-time chicken owners don’t realize how complex chicken emotions and social interactions are. The importance of personal space for your chickens The space needed for feeding, drinking, roosting, nesting, and defecating are discussed further below. From a physical perspective, they don’t really need a lot of space for these activities, but from a psychological perspective, they will always prefer a lot of space. The natural behaviors of chickens include:įeeding and drinking (optional for inside the coop)Ĭhickens will need some space to be able to move around, flap and stretch their wings, and scratch in the bedding. Natural behaviors of your chickens in the coop
#Chicken coop for 6 chickens how to#
How to calculate exactly how big your chicken coop needs to be in 6 easy steps!Ĭhickens need space in the chicken coop for three reasons: The 10 factors you need to know to determine how much space your chickens need in the coop Why chickens need space in the coop (i.e., what they use it for) But don’t despair! This article will provide you with a helpful guide to determine exactly what’s best for you and your birds. There truly are so many factors that go into determining the ideal size. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer for how many square feet each chicken needs in a coop. How big should your chicken coop be? A chicken coop should be 2.5-4 square feet per chicken for chickens who have a large run, and 5-10 square feet per chicken for chickens who have a small run.

Take a deep breath! You’ll find everything you need to know in this article.īut first, let’s start with the short answer. If you want your chickens to live happy and healthy lives, you have to get this right.

You want to know what may be the worst mistake you can make as a first-time chicken keeper? Not giving your chickens enough space.
