# How Much Space Do White Leghorns Need?



## Bs_96 (Mar 24, 2015)

I am gonna get some White Leghorns in April, first I was looking at Barred Rocks and it said they need 4 sq. ft. of space per bird. Since Leghorns are close to being half the size of some heavier breeds like the Barred Rocks does that mean I can have 2x as many? My coop has 60 sq. ft. of room and the run is not built yet so I am pretty flexible on that. Could I have 15, or maybe even 25 or something like that?


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

You'd not want to go below 3 square feet for a leghorn. Yes they're smaller, but they are very active birds. 

It also depends on what strain of bird you have, production barred rocks are small, about 4-5lbs.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

15 is the max. You really don't want to risk over crowding since it can cause so many other issues. Birds that over crowded can develop bad habits and once they start its hard to stop it. You also need space for food and water, space for laying nests.


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## OldBrickHouseFarm (Sep 30, 2014)

I agree with the previous two responses. 4 sq. ft. minimum for all large fowl. Yes they're lighter but much more active and flighty. They would go nuts with 2 sq. ft.. Leghorns and hybrids based upon them are kept in tight cages (4 or 5 to a cage) in egg production facilities but they must have their beaks trimmed to prevent cannibalism. 
Overcrowding causes a lot of problems, you'll have to clean much more often, ammonia buildup can happen in days, pathogens thrive in that situation. The stress of crowding and bad air make them susceptible to disease. 
Cut the numbers, build a second coop or enlarge the current one.

You could also get bantam leghorns but the eggs will be small.


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## Bs_96 (Mar 24, 2015)

I will buy about 15 or so


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