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Whether you live in the city or in the country, if you’re planning on raising backyard chickens you first need to make sure you have the adequate space for them. While chickens don’t need an entire field to roam in, they do need some space in order to leave healthy and happy lives. In that respect, there are some questions that need to be answered in order to have the proper space for your chickens.
How big are your chickens?
Before you get started on measuring your backyard, you first need to determine how big your chickens are. Obviously, how big your chickens are will impact how much space they take up. Larger breeds will need more room than smaller breeds, while bantams require even less room.
How big does the coop need to be?
As a general rule of thumb, larger breeds typically need 4 square feet per bird, while smaller breeds require 3 square feet per bird. Bantams, on the other hand, are even smaller and thus require only about 2 square feet per bird. Keep in mind, though, that these measurements are minimum requirements suited for chickens who spend only the nights inside their coop. If your chickens are inside their coops more often, you’ll need to accommodate by adding more space.
How big does the nesting box have to be?
When it comes to your nesting boxes, you can either have individual ones or an “open-plan” set up. Whichever design you have, you’ll need at least a foot cubed of space per chicken.
How much roaming space do chickens need?
At minimum, your chickens require at least 8 square feet of space per bird for smaller sized breeds, and at least 10 square feet per bird for larger sized breeds. However, in order for them to have enough space to truly run around, we recommend doubling the minimum space requirement—so having 16 square feet for smaller chickens and 20 square feet for larger chickens.
If you still have questions about how much room your chickens need, then feel free to contact us over at Chickens for Backyards for any of your backyard chicken needs.
