Dimensions of Breedng Pens

The roosters have been separated for long enough now and I am just contemplating a few pairs and trios in Breeding pens rather than putting a rooster in the coop with all the hens at once.

I have various pens but am wondering what the minimum size is for the idea breeding pen for a pair of standard chickens (Buckeyes or White Chanteclers) - not just width and length but height.

Any ideas?

Isn't the general recommendation 4 square feet per bird, or do breeding pens need to be larger?

That's what I'm wondering.....

Are you planning to keep the pairs in there all the time, or just introduce the male each day for a short period of time? I think the size may depend on that. It may also depend on how long you are going to leave the hens in there for. A couple of weeks or a couple of months?

I usually breed in trios or sometimes small groups, so I have bigger pens for that. My trios (sometimes 4 hens) go in a 5 x 10 covered pen with a 3 sided encloser at the end for roosting and laying. I am interested to see the answers you get on this.

Good point Coop - I think it is easier on the hens if I only put the rooster in for a bit every day. Both Buckeye and Chantecler roosters are easy on the hens but it would mean I can use some of my smaller pens.

Clearly I need more pens!

I built these about 4'x 8' and is plenty for a pair/trio, but also handles more. I have autowaterer in the summer and hand water twice a day in the winter. It is much warmer in the shop than outside, but still freezes with real cold weather. More insulation and A natural gas heater is on the to do list, but need to win the lottery first. I have 10 of these and like them a lot. Other pens I have are not as neat and some are bigger, I will be adding more of these pens though.

Nice pens Piet.

Those are fabulous Piet - thank you! I love how sunny and clean they are.

Nice set up you have there, Piet! Very tidy.

I would love to have nice neat pens like Piet, and one day perhaps I shall! Right now I use 4’x4’ dog ex pens with a lid. They are relatively inexpensive, totally portable, and easy to clean. I try to keep a maximum of a trio of large fowl and 4 or 5 bantams in each pen. They seem to have enough space, and a hen cannot easily avoid a rooster. The live there for such a short period of time - only a few breeding months - that I do not worry that I am confining them excessively. This year I will be sharing roosters amongst pens as well.

Very, very nice set up Piet. Those pens are big and roomy for a trio plus you have the flexibility to put small groups together.
Also, if you have large breeds you won't want your breeding pens too small. It takes a fairly large area to allow those big awkward males to spread their wings for balance while mounting the hens.

Lovely pens Piet. I think I have coop envy

Another thing to think about is height. If you have birds that like to fly and perch high, they will want all the vertical space you can get. Now, if you have Cornish bantams or silkies, you only need enough height to clean effectively.

Schipperkesue wrote:Another thing to think about is height. If you have birds that like to fly and perch high, they will want all the vertical space you can get. Now, if you have Cornish bantams or silkies, you only need enough height to clean effectively.

true that, my large cochins(big heavy birds and relativly small wings) have 8 inch roosts. My Dutch bantams have 5 foot high roost because they like to fly a bit and is good for them.

Yes, very true, not just my Golden Sebrights but turkeys love to roost high.

This has been VERY helpful. Thank you all, Piet in particular!!

Piet wrote:I built these about 4'x 8' and is plenty for a pair/trio, but also handles more. I have autowaterer in the summer and hand water twice a day in the winter. It is much warmer in the shop than outside, but still freezes with real cold weather. More insulation and A natural gas heater is on the to do list, but need to win the lottery first. I have 10 of these and like them a lot. Other pens I have are not as neat and some are bigger, I will be adding more of these pens though.

*Jealous*

That is such a nice set up. I wish I had a big barn to something similar. I am currently building a bunch of new out door runs. They will have an 8x8 run with a 4x8 house for the layers and to sleep in.