Within housing structures, birds should be provided with adequate spacing for movement and exercise. The amount of necessary spacing will vary on the species of bird, size of flock, and temperature. Minimum space requirements is the least amount of indoor space a bird needs if it cannot or will not go outside for an extended period of time. Birds that are not allowed access to the outside will perform better with more space than the minimum requirement; whereas, birds that are outside the majority of the time will do fine with the minimum requirements.
Minimum Space Requirements of Various Bird Types
Along with living space, adequate feeding and watering space should be considered for each bird. Small birds, such as pigeons, bantams, and quail, only need one linear inch of feeder and waterer space per bird. Larger birds need a little more room, requiring 2-3 linear inches of feeder and waterer space per bird (Clauer, 1998). Waterfowl need six inches of feeder space per bird (Clauer, 1997). Be sure to place feeders away from waterers because waterfowl are messy eaters and will dirty their waterers. Allowing enough space for each bird will also help keep the humidity level low within the housing structure. Because of their large size, ratites are not housed indoors. Ratites can be fed in groups by placing feeders throughout their enclosure. When calculating spacing requirements for your birds, keep in mind future expansion should you decide to increase the size of your flock.