Bantam chicken coops and housing

Coops for Bantam chickens:

Chicken coops and runs, also known as chicken pens, are necessary accessory for looking after chickens. Birds need the ability to roam while being protected from predators. Space is extremely important in any livestock enterprise. 

Make certain that you have adequate space for your planned flock. 

There's no set answer as to how much space to allow, because we all have different chickens, kept in different circumstances and with different weather to deal with. As a rule chickens and bantams need 2 square foot of floor space in the coop with 1 foot of perch per bird and at least twice as much in the run.

Bantams can share the same roosts as large fowl chickens as they fly better and prefer to roost up high.

Below: This coop and run combo will happily keep 6 large fowl or 8 bantams quite happy.

If you are free ranging then you can get away with a smaller coop and if you need to confine birds in a Canadian style winter then you will need bigger.

The more space you have the more flexibility you have dealing with problems.

How much space do bantam chickens need?

It does not matter much if the space is in the coop, the coop and run, or if you choose to free range your chickens and let them roost in the trees. It’s total space that counts, not just coop size in isolation.

Below: These coops are too small even for bantams and should be avoided.

I could tell you that your chickens need 4 square foot of floor space and a foot of perch inside the coop and 8 square foot in the run but you could easily get away with 2 inside and 10 outside if that's what you wanted.

Also remember vertical space is just as important, especially for bantams as they fly better. For chicken coops, a good rule of thumb is 1.5 to 3 square feet per bird. You can get by with 1 square foot per bird if you have a run and your coop has more cubic feet (height).

The run should be at least twice the size of the coop. Pens or runs are very important for good production. More space should be allowed if your birds will be confined all winter. This is especially important in cold and snowy climates as birds are not overly fond of snow.

For True Bantams like Serama or Chabo the minimum coop space  is 1sq ft per bird and 4sq ft per bird for the run.

Do bantam chicken coops need to be a different size?

They can be but breed and temperament come into play as well.

A very active and flighty bantam breed, like a spangled Hamburg, might benefit from more space than the average bantam, especially vertical space or head room, than a larger more sedate breed like Orpingtons which keep their feet on the ground.

They do not need to be different. Any coop that is good or large fowl chickens will be fine for bantams.

Conclusion:

So there's a lot to consider when planning for space requirements of coops and runs.

Remember, animal comfort is very important to achieve maximum production. Dairy cows milk better, sows raise bigger pigs and hens lay more and bigger eggs when environmentally comfortable. Space, cleanliness and temperature are very important variables in animal comfort.

Annoying issues such as pecking and aggressiveness behaviour can be easily managed by providing adequate space!

Chicken pens or runs should be built with quality materials to keep chickens happy and safe for years to come. Get safer chickens, better production and more eggs with a quality run.