Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[BridieLou]

We're thinking about buying a 2 x 2m walk in run, and attaching our Go Up (plus 2m run) on to the side. My rough (and conservative) calculations make the total space about 5.65 square metres.

 

If you weren't going to allow any free ranging at all, how many chickens would you keep in this space?

 

Thansk

[Cat tails]

Technically 5 standard size chickens. Although I now have 5 bantams in my standard Go Up run. Once they have settled in, they can also use the bigger outdoor pen, I made for them. But as it isn't covered, I'm not letting them in there unsupervised untill I have figured out if the new girls are much adapt to flying.

[BridieLou]

Fab okay, that's good to know. We only have three and I don't want to hurt their feelings by restricting the FR!

 

Sounds like the three of them will be just fine in that space.

[Cat tails]

I've given up on letting them free range and my garden is thanking me for it!

[BridieLou]

Yes Cattails! I feel the same. Time to say goodbye to Freeranging... Sorry girls!

[Cat tails]

I was done trying to cage the plants, and the ladies finding ways of destroying them anyway! So decided to let the plants free range instead

[DaisyAndBobby]

Three, MAX! No way you could fit 5 standard size hens into that with no free ranging.

 

The general rule is 2sq M per hen if not free ranging.

 

We have the 2x2 low rise directly connected to a go, and 2 hens. They also get lots of free range time, but I couldn't imagine having 5 in that run, even with the 2m go run, with no free ranging.

 

Also, the run is actually 1.8 x 1.8 meters, not 2x2.

[BridieLou]

Don't panic, I only have three.

[Cat tails]

Don't panic, I only have three.

 

Indeed...

 

And what I learn from the other folks here DEFRA keeps to 1 square metre per hen.

[freespiritbutterfly]

I've got 4 Bantams in an eglu go up run +1m extension attached to 2m*2m*2m and I think that's about my max. I can't allow free ranging as my other half isn't keen. It's ample space for mine but I probably wouldn't have any more than that in there. It looks quite small.

[Cat tails]

I currently have 5 bantams in the 1m go up run with roughly a 2 x 2 outdoor pen. I wouldn't permanently lock them in the standard run (I did yesterday to acclamate the two new hens a bit).

Using the height of the run is also important. I have two roosting bars in the Go Up run and a log and some other stuff in the pen.

[Chickabee]

Sorry, 2 sq m per hen. That means you could only have one hen in a WIR