10x10 run -To Big-

[Manhen]

To keep it aesthetic I could go as much as 10X50

I hope this is not too late... I said ask the chicken. Really you will likely wish it was bigger as some point. Consider making the run expandable. For example, have one end have an 8 foot wide door on it that easily can be fastened open to make the next wall section. If each wall is made of sections, you could move them with a little effort and perhaps no loss of materials. You could also consider a PVC geodesic dome, easy to move daily. a 100 square foot dome could utilize almost all 500 square feet you have available. Fun fun.

 

[ChicNmom]

We initially made our coop and run 7'x15' for 6 chickens. Then we added an L shaped addition that is 5'x8'. We now have 19 chickens.

The thing is that even with all the space they all love to clump together in a space that is about 7'x5'. The run has a roof and walls with hardware cloth so it's not like they are out in the open and feeling exposed.

Silly chickens.

 

[Manhen]

We initially made our coop and run 7'x15' for 6 chickens. Then we added an L shaped addition that is 5'x8'. We now have 19 chickens.

The thing is that even with all the space they all love to clump together in a space that is about 7'x5'. The run has a roof and walls with hardware cloth so it's not like they are out in the open and feeling exposed.

Silly chickens.

I think their behavior is much smarter than ours.... Like in The Botany of Desire, we think we have mastered the chicken. When in fact Gaia has made them so attractive that their survival as a species is entirely provided for by another, more gullible species.

 

[Nor-Cal Chickens]

I think their behavior is much smarter than ours.... Like in The Botany of Desire, we think we have mastered the chicken. When in fact Gaia has made them so attractive that their survival as a species is entirely provided for by another, more gullible species.

I believe you have a very valid point there Manhen!

 

[CinnaBun]

Your run can be different configurations, depending on your backyard- 8’x12’ or 6’x18’. You could do a smaller predator proof run and and another, less expensive run, out of netting or chicken wire for when you are home.

And since you are short on space, an elevated chicken coop? The Home Depot blog coop is 8x4. Maybe you could do something like it? (Folks recommend making the roof longer, adding hardware cloth under monitor roof and making the main body taller if possible.) You could easily change the style of coop too, Just an example of an elevated 4x8 coop.

https://blog.homedepot.com/free-plans-for-an-awesome-chicken-coop/

 

[bcorps]

One thing I'll add. My attached run (including the area beneath the coop) is 6' x 16'...96 sqft. I built it for 12 chickens. Essentially the least amount of area I was comfortable with. But in a perfect world, it would be more square than long. If you ever have chickens that for whatever reason, aren't getting along this week...you want them to be able to get away from each other. The longer and skinnier your coop is, the less escape it allows a target bird.

What I am going to do in my case, is "hang" a triangular piece of plywood from the coop ramp. This will essentially turn their run into Circus Maximus.

I can already envision them chasing each other, running laps....and one of them "hiding" quietly on the other side.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I want my first coop and run to have plenty of space and for it to have a 10 chicken capacity. but a 10x10 run would be too big. Is there any other way? I can't free-range them. is there any hope?

What are your space limitations? I think you may find that since you can’t free range, your chickens may find themselves getting restless in limited space, and they may start to get out that extra energy by pecking at each other.

I have never once heard a person wish that they had made their run smaller... imagine, if you and 9 other people were confined to your house and yard... forever. Enough space to be alive and perhaps physically healthy? Probably... enough space to be mentally healthy and not want to gouge each other’s eyeballs out? Not likely. And I’m sure your house and yard probably proportionately would give 10 humans more space than the 10 sq. ft per chicken you were planning.

If you’re absolutely set on not allowing any more space, have you considered perhaps keeping a smaller number of birds? 100 sq. Feet sounds like a lot, but it gets cramped fast. My run is 400 sq. ft, and my coop is 80sqft, and I currently have 9 chickens... they free range during the day, but if confined to the run(even if for a few days while we’re out of town), they pick each other’s feathers out.

Im not trying to sound negative, I would just hate for you to put all the work in to building a run and investing love into chickens, and then either have to redo the run, see the chickens suffer, or have to rehome chickens that you’ve fallen in love with.

Is there a way you could lay the run out differently? Maybe 10x10 is big and square and awkward, but maybe different dimensions could fit your setup better?

Sorry for such a long post I just want to help!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I am planning a 1000 sq ft run in addition to their 200 sq ft covered pen for 9 chickens and 4 ducks. Still wish I could go bigger.....

 

[bhawk-23]

We did the minimum space needed for the coop and run and I really regret it. Our chickens free range every day which was fine for the first 8 months. But we now have snow on the ground so they have been mostly confined with the youngest 3 staying inside the coop mostly to avoid the older girls dominating the run space. We are expecting more snow so they will most likely be in this situation for a week or more. We already have plans to extend this spring. Hubs is frustrated to say the least.

Side note: you may not think "chicken math" is real and even think we are crazy for saying it. I certainly did! But let me tell you, it is oh so real, and a huge struggle to know you absolutely cannot have more because I can safely bet you will