Do I need a run?

[khoehne]

I've read in your introduction that you are new to chicken keeping. Now I've read you are new to the area you live in. You mention snow so I'll assume cold as well.
Free ranging sounds great and I've done it, without a run as backup. I had decent weather (Catalonia, Spain) and the chickens came out every day.
What you need to know apart from the weather is what predators you have. You may find that you lose a lot of chickens to predators when free ranging and you don't mention having a rooster or a plan for broody hens to replace the inevitable looses free ranging will incur.
A lot of new keepers try free ranging only to find a few weeks later they've lost many and sometimes all of their flock to predation.
You can fill in your location on your profile page. This will help people give advice relevant to the area you live in. A couple of pictures of your coop might be helpful.

We are new to our town (we're in the Catskills in NY State), but are very familiar with the landscape thank goodness - we know we're up against coyotes and raccoons, hawks and falcons, maaaaybe snakes. We're keeping rooster(s) exactly for this reason - I'm hoping we don't, but am definitely preparing myself to lose chickens to predators because of free ranging. We would love to get a dog, but are not quite there yet. The run was my big question - we have so much work to do on our land, I'm trying to see if we can survive without a run for a year, or if it's just total folly.

 

[McChooky]

Build a portable run on wheels or make panels you can assemble with nuts and bolts(taken apart easily).Being able to lock your chickens up could save their lives if a threats detected. Chickens are hard to manage if you don't have a run.

 

[khoehne]

Pics of coop? How many chickens? Is there any ventilation in the coop at all?

In that size coop, you're going to want a run they can be in during the winter months. The general rule of thumb for bare minimum of space is ~4 sq. ft/chicken in the coop and ~10 sq. ft. / chicken in the run (the 4 sq ft in the coop is if they're only using it for sleeping and laying, not if they have to be locked in it for long periods).

I will add photos tomorrow - thank you! 12 chickens now (straight run - half are roosters), 6 will be slaughtered for meat by winter. There is no ventilation in the coop. We are in a cold, snowy area (Catskills NY), so it has to retain heat pretty well.

I just assumed free range meant free range always, but hadn't thought about the cold snowy months. I'm confused about the run, though, because if it's for protection, but they can't go out in the snow, a run will be useless to us - I would rather add windows/ventilation.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

In your case, I suggest a confinement. Cheap build out of some chicken mesh and whatever you can slap together. A place to herd them into in times where you fear for them but are there to deal with a serious predator. In the long run, you need a sturdy run. Good idea to start planning now on where this will all be.

 

[McChooky]

I will add photos tomorrow - thank you! 12 chickens now (straight run - half are roosters), 6 will be slaughtered for meat by winter. There is no ventilation in the coop. We are in a cold, snowy area (Catskills NY), so it has to retain heat pretty well.

I just assumed free range meant free range always, but hadn't thought about the cold snowy months. I'm confused about the run, though, because if it's for protection, but they can't go out in the snow, a run will be useless to us - I would rather add windows/ventilation.

This section has invaluable information pertaining to building coops with enough ventilation to keep your chickens warm and dry. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/helpful-hints-for-building-coops.1191089/

 

[rosemarythyme]

There is no ventilation in the coop. We are in a cold, snowy area (Catskills NY), so it has to retain heat pretty well.

A coop in a colder environment still needs ventilation to allow moisture and ammonia to escape, and to reduce risk of frostbite. How cold does it get, at the coldest (don't factor in wind chill, as the coop is an enclosed environment)?

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I will add photos tomorrow - thank you! 12 chickens now (straight run - half are roosters), 6 will be slaughtered for meat by winter. There is no ventilation in the coop. We are in a cold, snowy area (Catskills NY), so it has to retain heat pretty well.

I just assumed free range meant free range always, but hadn't thought about the cold snowy months. I'm confused about the run, though, because if it's for protection, but they can't go out in the snow, a run will be useless to us - I would rather add windows/ventilation.

Ventilation is a MUST. Even in the coldest of temps, you need ventilation in the coop, up high above roosts, so there's no drafts on the birds, but so ammonia and moisture. can be released. Most chickens do well, even in the coldest of temps, as long as wind isnt blowing their feathers when they roost (hence ventilation above roosts). You will be facing health issues, especially if you're going to keep 12 birds cooped up, if you don't add plenty of ventilation.

It's not that chickens "can't" go out in the snow, many just won't (mine won't- I have to shovel an area for them, if they're going to come outside of the run). The purpose of the run is to have something - a larger area - covered that they can go in that isn't the coop. Last winter, I didn't have a proper roof on my run so I covered it with huge tarps to block snow and wind, but left some ventilation in the run as well (again, above where the chickens would stand).

If you're able to post pics here, many people will be able to help give you ideas on how to improve the coop/ventilation/add a run.

 

[NatJ]

We are new to our town (we're in the Catskills in NY State), but are very familiar with the landscape thank goodness - we know we're up against coyotes and raccoons, hawks and falcons, maaaaybe snakes....I'm trying to see if we can survive without a run for a year, or if it's just total folly.

If you want to protect the chickens, but still have something movable, you might consider a dog kennel for a run (the kind that are about 10 feet square and covered with chainlink fencing, plus add something over the top.)

Or you could consider a cattle panel hoop coop for the run, with a tarp on top to provide shade from the sun and some shelter from rain and snow. You would need to secure the tarp tightly enough that it cannot flap and rip loose in the wind, and be aware that heavy snow can make the whole thing collapse.
The "articles" section of the site has quite a few examples, such as this one:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cattle-panel-hoop-coop.74636/
I would use something sturdier than the chicken wire that is pictured in that article. Chicken wire is fine for keeping chickens in, but is weak enough that many predators are able to rip it open and kill the chickens.

 

[khoehne]

A coop in a colder environment still needs ventilation to allow moisture and ammonia to escape, and to reduce risk of frostbite. How cold does it get, at the coldest (don't factor in wind chill, as the coop is an enclosed environment)?

At the coldest, about 10 degrees fahrenheit? We've only been in the Catskills one winter, but it's definitely not as bad as where I'm originally from (Wisconsin). Lots of snow though. You know, there must be ventilation - the previous owners kept chickens in this thing successfully. I thought ventilation meant windows but I might have missed openings at the eaves/higher up in the coop. Will check and add along with windows if none is there. Thank you!

 

[khoehne]

Ventilation is a MUST. Even in the coldest of temps, you need ventilation in the coop, up high above roosts, so there's no drafts on the birds, but so ammonia and moisture. can be released. Most chickens do well, even in the coldest of temps, as long as wind isnt blowing their feathers when they roost (hence ventilation above roosts). You will be facing health issues, especially if you're going to keep 12 birds cooped up, if you don't add plenty of ventilation.

It's not that chickens "can't" go out in the snow, many just won't (mine won't- I have to shovel an area for them, if they're going to come outside of the run). The purpose of the run is to have something - a larger area - covered that they can go in that isn't the coop. Last winter, I didn't have a proper roof on my run so I covered it with huge tarps to block snow and wind, but left some ventilation in the run as well (again, above where the chickens would stand).

If you're able to post pics here, many people will be able to help give you ideas on how to improve the coop/ventilation/add a run.

The extra context here is so helpful - thank you! There must be ventilation high up that I missed - the previous owners actively used this coop year round, so it must be functional?! - I'll double check to be sure and add if necessary.