I can't wait to see your coop this winter!
Cathryn
rainbowsilkies MI
rainbowsilkies MI
From: dbauer7998 <DBauer7998@aol.com>
To: chickens-101@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 8:49 PM
Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Re: HOw many chickens in a 10x10 coop??
I currently have 10 seramas in a multi-level 6'x6' pen. The pen itself is 6'x6', There is food and water available at ground level, and treats are served there. The coop in it is 2'x3' (with food, water, and and a perching shelf in it), and the rooftop is also used for the pullets (with grit, eggshells and water available at this level.). Below it is a 18"x2.5' sandbox for dustbaths and it has a hanging suet holder for (at the time of year) frozen treats.. The nest boxes are 18"x18" and have flat, stable tile to use the tops of them. (Water and baked, crushed egg shells are available at this level.) There are 3 perches available. One at ground level (a broomstick that runs between two sides. There is a 2nd broomstick perch about two feet above the coop roof. The 3rd perch is a plastic-coated wire shelf (like those used in closets). It is about 12" wide and 4.5' long and runs between one side of the pen and the coop roof. Water is available at this level.
There are two ramps - boards with chicken wire stapled onto them for gripping. One runs from the floor to the coop and the other, longer one, runs from the door of the pen to the other side of the pen. That one acts not only as a ramp for lazy birds who don't want to fly up and as a dropping board, catching the majority of the droppings with the hens are roosting.
Seramas are very small. I could not put 10 standard or even bantam hens in this small space. But my 10 (1 rooster and 9 hens) seem content. Since they have so many levels to choose from, they are rarely all at the same level. Someone is usually poking around the coop; a couple are usually on the roof of the cook. Somebody is usually in one or two of the nest boxes.They come and go from the various perches at will, and one or two are usually taking dushbaths. The space between the dustbath and the pen wall is about 8" - 19" on two sides, and seems to be a favorite place the hunker and with buddies and enjoy a gossip session. The only time they are all together on the floor or the coop is when I distribute treats - and I make sure there are two treat dishes so nobody can hog one.
I've seen a few pecks of the dominance-establishing type, and no actually fights between chickens.
Di
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