Run construction - tips and advice?

[whitenack]

Hey everyone, built a new coop from scratch last year (which was really fun) and want to tackle a new run construction this year.

Can you all give me all your "dos and don'ts" on run design? I'm asking specifically about the construction, like size, shape, materials, foundation (set posts in the ground or lay on the surface), etc.. Things that you don't think about until after it is finished. For example, when I built the coop, I tried to design it in such a way that construction was easy (8x8x8 construction with single sloped roof). I am not a builder by trade so I want something that didn't require a lot of expertise.

Things like...

(Like mentioned above) Is it better to bury posts deep in the ground or lay on the surface?
Square vs rectangle runs?
Solid roof vs open air vs partial roof?
Size and number of access doors/gates?

 

[Krugerrand]

Hey everyone, built a new coop from scratch last year (which was really fun) and want to tackle a new run construction this year.

Can you all give me all your "dos and don'ts" on run design? I'm asking specifically about the construction, like size, shape, materials, foundation (set posts in the ground or lay on the surface), etc.. Things that you don't think about until after it is finished. For example, when I built the coop, I tried to design it in such a way that construction was easy (8x8x8 construction with single sloped roof). I am not a builder by trade so I want something that didn't require a lot of expertise.

Things like...

(Like mentioned above) Is it better to bury posts deep in the ground or lay on the surface?
Square vs rectangle runs?
Solid roof vs open air vs partial roof?
Size and number of access doors/gates?

If you want 'easy' my vote is for cattle panel hoop runs.

I pretty much copied Blooie's run. No framing required. Cover with hardware cloth and slap it up between steel T-posts.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/motel-chix.67240/

Last summer I stretched it to 3 panels deep (about 8 x 12). I guess it depends on how many birds you have. I think in a previous post there were 12, so you'd need it to be pretty long.

 

[Sally PB]

If I ever need to build another run, I will definitely be sure it is covered. I am SO glad I put a roof over mine. Avian Influenza is in my area, and my run is safe from wild bird poop, a vector of AI.

Absolutely make it tall enough for you to stand up in. Your back will thank you. And probably the top of your head too.

Wood chips make a great base. You might be able to get them for free from an arborist or tree trimmers working in your area. (I got a bunch long ago when the power company was clearing trees/branches along the lines on my road.)

Power for a heated waterer in the winter is very nice. Ditto for some light in the dark dreary winter months. For the latter, I use a string of white Christmas lights. Not to prolong/enhance laying, just so there's a bit of light on the grey days of winter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How many birds do you anticipate having, and do you plan on adding on over time?

(Like mentioned above) Is it better to bury posts deep in the ground or lay on the surface?
Square vs rectangle runs?
Solid roof vs open air vs partial roof?
Size and number of access doors/gates?

For disclosure I didn't build my run, I had a fencing company come out and install a chain link dog run with concreted-in posts.

I would think buried posts would be more secure than ones lying on the surface - I've had flooding through my run and had several 4x4s get ripped out of the ground by water and carried several hundred feet into the pond.

Square, if you have the room, if you want to maximize space per linear ft of fencing material. Example: a 10x10 run uses 40 linear ft of fence and yields 100 sq ft of floor space. But a 25x4 run would use 58 linear ft of fence to yield that same 100 sq ft. Narrow runs can also cause behavior/pecking order issues, so personally I would not do anything narrower than 6' wide. Extra caveat to that is a wider run may be trickier to roof, if you plan on roofing, as you may need extra vertical supports to hold it up.

Solid roof if you can afford it. I have no roof, just netting, and I get a lot of rain. So I've had to add rain shelters in the run for the chickens to take cover in, since they refuse to use the coop for that.

Size - "as big as possible." Chickens will never complain about having extra space. They will however have issues with too little space. Extra room allows for easier integration and for the addition of clutter for enrichment and to provide hiding spots. As far as doors, I actually have a split run (10x20 and 15x20) with a door in the middle, and doors on each side (so 3 total) - it's great if you need to do maintenance and want birds out of the way, or to keep bully birds away from victims while breakfast is served, or to allow young chicks to run around and get used to the area before the adults come and ruin the party.

Ignore the flooding haha, this just shows the 2 halves of the run decently.

 

[Acre4Me]

Great advice above!

We utilized the dog run space behind our barn. 50’ x10’. The 10’ is good space to alllow chickens room to get away from others. The length also allows groups of chickens to be separate. There is room for extra roosts in the run, allowing for less bullying. There are some good locations for separate good/water areas (again this minimizes bullying).

We removed the old chain link posts and fence and used treated posts, deep hole, concrete in the bottom. We took fencing and took it about 18” deep to prevent diggers. We have also roofed the entire run. Rain still blows into the run, but it’s much better than no roof.

Divert rain/water flow where you can. Build up run so it stays dry in wet weather -extra important if you do not roof the run.

Depending on the wind/weather situation in your microclimate, you may want to block wind/blowing rain on one side or another. Even a short barrier of 2’ tall will help with blocking wind as the chickens aren’t that tall. I’ve been known to take old metal roofing scraps to put in one side if out run to block wind when we had new chicks we were introducing. Poor things were all huddled in a corner in the wind/ rain. So I blocked it and they were able to spread out. Another thing is my chickens hate really windy days. Seriously seems like they cross their legs and refuse to lay on high wind days.

Doors. Having more that one in the run can be great for access and clean out or retrieving a chicken.

 

[Sally PB]

Depending on the wind/weather situation in your microclimate, you may want to block wind/blowing rain on one side or another. Even a short barrier of 2’ tall will help with blocking wind as the chickens aren’t that tall

I saved the leftover pieces from my roofing material to use for wind block panels in the cold months. I only had 4 pieces, so for the other areas, I use plastic shower curtains.

These go up in the fall, on the west (prevailing wind) and north sides of the run. It makes it much nicer in there for the chickens, and for me when I go in to do chores or visit.

 

[whitenack]

Thanks for the replies.

How many birds do you anticipate having, and do you plan on adding on over time?

We have 6 currently, and I think that is where we will stay. We've had more than that in the past and it was too many. 6 is actually more than we need...we have too many eggs already.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We have 6 currently, and I think that is where we will stay. We've had more than that in the past and it was too many. 6 is actually more than we need...we have too many eggs already.

So if you have the room I'd aim for a minimum of 100 sq ft, up to sky's the limit if you have the space and funds. A 10x10 (or larger) would be enough for 6 birds and would be easy for you to maneuver around in with tools and such.

 

[Krugerrand]

So if you have the room I'd aim for a minimum of 100 sq ft, up to sky's the limit if you have the space and funds. A 10x10 (or larger) would be enough for 6 birds and would be easy for you to maneuver around in with tools and such.

Extra space is very helpful when introducing new chickens into the flock ... especially if there is no mother hen to look out for them.

 

[whitenack]

Thanks for the replies. What about things like distance between posts?