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kinmad
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 49
Location: east sussex
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 Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: How many hens in an 8 x 6 shed? |
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I have 7 brahma chicks and want to get cracking on a coop/house for them.Would an 8 x6 shed be a comfortable living space for them?Also what would be a comfortable amount in a shed this size?  |
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JustChickens
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 604
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Alot of chickens! you would easily fit 7 brahmas in a 6x8ft shed. Dont know how many more you could fit in though.. |
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kinmad
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 49
Location: east sussex
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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The theory behind a shed that size is i know that i need to keep them clear of mud and water because of the foot feathers etc.If i kept them in a house that size and it's particularly wet maybe they could stay in as it were.
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JustChickens
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 604
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| yehh, beacuse of there feathery legs there gonna get muddy if you allow the to.. but if its a really horrible day they would be fine inside. you could always try and waterproof a run for them? |
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kinmad
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 49
Location: east sussex
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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Thats good to know.I was going to create some cover over the top of the run aswell.Now i just got to work out what height the perches should be and nest box sizes....  |
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mojo
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 9722
Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| quik tip 1 square foot per standard bird in coop 1 square yard in run 5 square yards free range MINIMUM.............Brahmas need 1.5 times........bantam.75 |
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mudshark
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Surrey
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Run area - issue 50 of Practical Poultry has an article on runs which suggests an area of 20m x 20m is needed for '8 large fowl chickens'; that's quite a lot of space! |
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JustChickens
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 604
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| 20 x 20 is massive!! omg. my pen for my hybrids is 5 x 5. they have loads of room. |
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kinmad
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 49
Location: east sussex
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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20 x 20 open space is no problem at all (providing i leave the back door open)as my theory was a big house for bad weather,an outside run for containing them during the day.But also as weather and conditions permit the entire garden as it is enclosed.
That said i wonder if that counts for all large fowl breeds.Or just more energetic ones? |
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mudshark
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Surrey
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| Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:04 am Post subject: |
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| I'd be surprised if most people have anything like that amount of space in their pens - I know some work of 4 sqft per hen which does seem low. I'm thinking of a minimum of double that for my pen and a lot more. That Practical Poultry article does seem to suggest chickens need a lot of pampering - for instance they shouldn't be kept on grassless earth, ie a lawn where they've eaten all the grass. I'm lucky in that the bottom of my garden is quite spacious but I want some of it to be for veg growing so have to fence in a smaller amount for the hens. I do have ivy on a fence that I could use as 1 side to the pen; do I need to clear that or are they sensible enough not to eat it - assuming its not good for them? |
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kinmad
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 49
Location: east sussex
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| Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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I measured the area of my garden today and if that were the case i have room for my 7 and a few more.20 x 20m is a massive area just for 8 hens.  |
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JustChickens
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 604
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:43 am Post subject: |
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yeh 20 x 20 is loads of room, and for only 8 large fowl. My 7 hybrids have a 5x5 m run and have acces to my "wild" garden (an overgrown bit at the bottom of our garden) which is roughly 10x15m, and if they jump over the fence they have the run of the proper gaden which is roughly 15x20m.
Id build another run at the bottom if my parents let me! |
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Henwife
Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Posts: 2626
Location: Monmouthshire
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| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| As the usual length of electric netting is 50m I can only think that what was intended was 20m square for 8 LF. My 50m of fencing makes an enclosure of 156m square which is pretty big, so 20mx20m would mean a 400m square pen!! Even 5mx4m to give the 20m square is large. |
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kinmad
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 49
Location: east sussex
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| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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I think i could lose them in that 20 x 20 area 
As for the house it's no longer an 8 x 6 shed,it's now a 10 x 6 shed.
Plus i don't know how many of the 7 chicks are coqs  |
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