Raising Chickens: How Much Room Do They Need?

Stating out baby chickens do not need much room but as they mature their needs increase. It can be difficult to determine, based on information that is out there, how much room each bird needs. In general I have found the following is true: for baby chicks you should have at least four square inches of space and at maturity they should have at least two square feet per bird. Chickens bred for meat production grow at a much faster rate than those for egg production. Cornish Crosses, perhaps the most common meat production chicken will be fully mature at eight weeks whereas an egg laying chicken matures is as much as six months!

Below is a table that I use when determining how much space to provide birds with. In general I strive to provide them with a bit more space than what they will need in the end. I have often provide chickens that were three to four weeks old with two square feet per chicken. As long as they have easy access to water, food, and heat there is nothing wrong with having more space than they need. However, it is very difficult and expensive, to keep a large space at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Which is the air temperature for chickens should be kept at, during their first week of life. This is why many people who raise chickens will gradually increase the chickens' nest as they mature. It should also be noted that many "factory" chicken farms do not provide anywhere near this amount of space.

Chickens at Four Weeks of Age