Keeping other birds and animals with chickens
- Thread starter Deansmig
- Start date
Hi Deansmig,
How big is the pen you have had built? It is often recommended that you allow a minimum of 2 sq. metres of run floor space per bird, so in your case, the run should be at least 8 sq. metres, and more Is better. Chickens react badly to overcrowding, they can get stressed and fight and pluck each other's feathers, and those lower in the pecking order can find it hard to escape a bully in a run which is too small. A large run is a blessing, it will not get so muddy and dirty very fast, and if is really huge in proportion to the number of birds you intend to keep, you could always divide it and rest one half whilst they are using the other. If you can measure your lovely big run and let us know how big it actually is, people might be able to advise you better.
I wouldn't recommend mixing them with other animals in the same pen. Their needs for housing and feeding are different from other creatures, and if you added other animals or birds it might be difficult to prevent the chickens from bullying them, or in the case of small fluffies, they might get dirty from walking around in chicken poo. If the run is really huge, maybe you could subdivide it and keep whatever else you wanted in their own area?
How big is the pen you have had built? It is often recommended that you allow a minimum of 2 sq. metres of run floor space per bird, so in your case, the run should be at least 8 sq. metres, and more Is better. Chickens react badly to overcrowding, they can get stressed and fight and pluck each other's feathers, and those lower in the pecking order can find it hard to escape a bully in a run which is too small. A large run is a blessing, it will not get so muddy and dirty very fast, and if is really huge in proportion to the number of birds you intend to keep, you could always divide it and rest one half whilst they are using the other. If you can measure your lovely big run and let us know how big it actually is, people might be able to advise you better.
I wouldn't recommend mixing them with other animals in the same pen. Their needs for housing and feeding are different from other creatures, and if you added other animals or birds it might be difficult to prevent the chickens from bullying them, or in the case of small fluffies, they might get dirty from walking around in chicken poo. If the run is really huge, maybe you could subdivide it and keep whatever else you wanted in their own area?
valeriebutterley
New member
Hello and welcome to the forum,
is your pen/run too big? I don't think chicks can have too much space, personally, for roaming, rooting about, and generally having chick fun in.
They do love space to move.
I really can't be much help about chicks sharing their space, maybe bantams could share, and I have heard that chickens and ducks can live together, but do not intend to try it myself.
Bantams are lovely, small and friendly usually, busy and broody a lot of the time!
Welcome again.
is your pen/run too big? I don't think chicks can have too much space, personally, for roaming, rooting about, and generally having chick fun in.
They do love space to move.
I really can't be much help about chicks sharing their space, maybe bantams could share, and I have heard that chickens and ducks can live together, but do not intend to try it myself.
Bantams are lovely, small and friendly usually, busy and broody a lot of the time!
Welcome again.
That's certainly large! You would obviously have room for more than 4 hens! How is the area fenced, and what sort of coop do you have for the 4 girls? Would the coop have room for more birds? If not, you could perhaps make two pens and get another coop for the second flock. Maybe get a second flock of rescue ex-battery hens? Is the area down to grass?
It would be easier to look after them if you could put a roof on part of the space, to provide a dry area to feeding and sheltering, and then either subdivide some of the rest of the area to make two runs, or perhaps use some of it for other animals or birds, as you suggest.
But do think about what to do with all the eggs, if you get a whole lot more young hens, who will be producing nearly one a day each in the first year...
Many of our members will be falling over themselves with envy at all the space you have. Please let us know what you decide to do with it.
It would be easier to look after them if you could put a roof on part of the space, to provide a dry area to feeding and sheltering, and then either subdivide some of the rest of the area to make two runs, or perhaps use some of it for other animals or birds, as you suggest.
But do think about what to do with all the eggs, if you get a whole lot more young hens, who will be producing nearly one a day each in the first year...
Many of our members will be falling over themselves with envy at all the space you have. Please let us know what you decide to do with it.
You are better to get a few to start, see how your pen works out, mainly in regard to conditions underfoot which can quickly deteriorate and is made worse by ducks which are very messy and create mud baths due to them splashing about. Splitting it in half and resting one half at a time is a good option but all this you can decide after trying a few to start.
chrismahon
Well-known member
The minimum for free ranging chickens is 10 square metres per bird, so you only have enough space for 4 chickens under that definition Deansmig. Chuck's idea of dividing it and resting half is an excellent one. You will be amazed how fast they can destroy the vegetation. Ducks are really messy and rapidly destroy the surface.
We've just built an enclosure of about 800 square metres and will only have 40 chickens in it. Some sheltered area is essential -chickens don't handle rain well and hate wind.
We've just built an enclosure of about 800 square metres and will only have 40 chickens in it. Some sheltered area is essential -chickens don't handle rain well and hate wind.
10 sq metres is the minimum ranging space per bird for organically certified hens in large commercial flocks. Realistically on 40 sq. metres I would imagine up to 10 birds maximum would be OK if you had well drained land which would not get muddy, or as Chuck suggests, keep your present 4 in one half and then rotate them to the other half at regular intervals. If you did this you could probably get 3-4 more to add to their numbers, but it would be best to wait a bit and see how they got on. Also, with a small flock it helps if you can spread their ages a bit, so they don't all get old at the same time and you then go from too many eggs in Year 1 to hardly any by Year 3-4. It also allows space for perhaps getting new birds of a different breed as your interest in chickens develops (ie, it's very addictive!)
