How many bantam chickens can you keep per square foot? How tall? I heard that it is 4, but I doubt it.?

Question

The reason I aske this question is because I once saw a 2' X 1' X 1' rabbit cage with 3 bantams in it that were 7 weeks old. I want to know how big it has to be for you to keep them in it permenantly.

Answer 1

probebly about 50 or 60 if you use a compacter!!!!

Answer 2

the answer is none.

Answer 3

Please don't be agribusiness and keep animals in crowded conditions. Would you like it?

Answer 4

poultry needs a few things: space, light, warmth, protection from wind, fresh water, greens, and live food.  chickens need greens and live insects to be healthy, let alone contain the nutrients you would consume them for.

crowding and constant light causes cannibalism.

The proper amount of space, minimum, is 1sq ft/ bird.

light...let them have some sun.. it's good for them

warmth...nobody likes to be cold!!!

wet hens don't lay eggs.

I currently have 60 chickens in a coop that has 500sq/ft of open space for them to roam and scratch (something chickens have an unstoppable intrinsic desire to do) and occasionally let them into the garden.

keeping a chicken in the bare minimum space (industry puts two chickens in a 2x2x2 cage.) does not make for a happy bird, and a happy bird is a healthy bird.

also, industry does what's called "debeaking' where they cut off the end 1/3 of the upper beak to prevent pecking.

try the link below if this is your first time raising chickens.

remember this: the amount of care you put into your chickens will directly affect the quality of the eggs and meat.

Answer 5

Full grown banties require 70 square inches/bird.  

In that rabbit hutch, you'd be able to keep about 4 adult banties.

6-6-07 I feel that I need to defend my answer against the question, which is about space requirements. I gave the "correct" answer for the space requirements.

If you want enough room for the banties to take flight, then putting them in anything but a 6ft tall aviary would be ideal. If you want say that the research done for those space requirements is "inhumane" then you shouldn't be caging  your birds in the first place.

Answer 6

You need 1 sq ft per bantam inside space, AND 4 sq ft outside space.

A rabbit hutch is simply not big enough to be humane.

Answer 7

According to your name you are suppose to be a 'lover'.  Not.  How would you like living in a cage?  Build a chicken coop with lots of room and let them roam around.  Then they will be  happy chickens.  If you leave them in a small enclosed area they will peck each other to death.  If they are happy they will give you some delicious eggs.

Answer 8

There are "correct" answers like Elusive's which the chickens can survive under and there are humane conditions where chickens are raised in a healthy environment with comfort.  If you are going to raise chickens I hope that you know the difference.

Answer 9

Zero.  Only chicks can live in a cage with water, food, heat.  After that they need a pen and coop, plus a place to roost or their feet will become deformed......Rabit cage: never for chicks or chickens, wrong floor for them.