photo credit: sarniebill1
When determining how much space your chickens will need, keep in mind that most guidelines are for commercial chicken raising, and do not necessarily take into consideration the health of the birds.
Commercially raised laying hens are often packed into too small a space to allow even basic movement, and have no access to outside space where they can forage or exercise naturally. A chicken forced to live in a cramped environment will not realize its full potential, and will be an unhappy chicken indeed.
Tight spaces also allow for the spread of diseases and create an area that is difficult to maintain. When creating an environment for your flock of chickens, allow about a square yard for each chicken indoors and about ten square feet of outdoor room. These guidelines are an average estimate, and larger or more active chickens may need more room, while smaller or less active chickens may need less room. Basically the more space you can give them to express their natural behaviors, the better.
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