A few basic questions

[michellebee]

They will for sure use the full 50’. In fact they will race to the end just because! If you enter with treats at the far end they will come barreling towards you.
I imagine you will have feeders and waterers at one end otherwise it might be difficult for you to access.

Haha, I can picture it already. I’ll help them get their steps in every day with kitchen scrap delivery on the far end.

Yes, good point. The spot from which I took that picture is pretty wide open and where I might situate the coop - will post when I am back on my computer.

 

[aart]

Thank you. How is 4’ ? I rounded down to 3’ when measuring, but with some pruning of the bottom branches of the hedges it would be closer to 4’.

And yes, they are. Well, I suppose the concrete wall is in fact the property line.

4' is still pretty tight.
Most say 6' minimum, I have 8' and there's still is some dashing past the elders.

So left of the bushes is your neighbors.....or....??
Sketch of your yard might help here.
Are there any restrictions by your town about where a coop and run can be?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is a 3' width x 50' long run a strange dimension run for 8 chickens?

I agree with Aart. From what I've seen dominant chickens don't like others to get into their personal space. Once they are fully integrated it's not usually that big of a deal but any disagreements can blow up into violence if they are forced too close together. The worst I've seen is when integrating chickens, when raising younger chickens with the flock, or when they are sorting out the pecking order or flock dominance. I don't know what the absolute minimum is but I do think 3' tp 4' is too tight for a long run like that. It's not the square feet per chicken number that counts nearly as much as the quality of the room they do have. If yours are always going to be fully integrated, you will never add more chickens even to replace some as they age or die, then it might work out. Are these the only chickens you will ever have? Lots of people have runs four feet wide and they work fine but they also typically have a handful of chickens that are fully integrated. If they try to integrate new chickens, especially immature chickens, they often have issues.

Another concern is that what you build needs to be convenient for you. Even if you prune those bushes back they will regrow. I don't see how it will be convenient for you to get in there to do what you need to do, especially over time. Trying to prune with a fence in the way may be challenging.

the concrete wall is in fact the property line.

Have you checked local ordinances to see if there is a minimum distance your chickens need to be from your neighbors?

 

[0die]

@0die - Yes!! This is basically what I had pictured for mine, the "house" and "coop" with free movement of each other. Except mine would open into yet another bigger, fully-but-less-securely enclosed big day run. Can you clarify how big the "house" aspect of yours is? If I'm looking at the pic correctly, seems 4' x 6'? The one I mocked up in my picture was only 4' x 3', but that was just a guesstimate that now seems too small.

the "house" is 3x6 floor and 4 ft tall outside dimensions. But that includes 3 separate areas.

roosting area is 3x4 floor and 4 ft tall with 2 rows of 4ft bars.

3 nesting boxes, each 1x2 and 1 ft tall

storage area 3x2 and 3 ft tall accessible from the outside.

each of those areas is actually slightly less in interior space since you have to account for thickness of walls, floors, beams, etc. remember, when everyone gives you dimensions they are probably measuring the actual size of the structure and the lengths of lumber that were used. Actual interior volume is reduced buy the thickness of each board used.

technically, I guess my "house" is really the same as your 4x3 house since your egg boxes are hanging on the outside and you probably don't have a storage compartment.

4x3 might seem small for the house but in my climate the chickens will not roost inside in anything less than gale force winds a hard cold or freeze. They roost out in the open air coop. And the house has excellent screened ventilation windows on 3 sides and is usually wide open to the coop so it's more of a carport.

I have 10 birds right now and there is no lack of space at night since the coop is 6x12. I could probably add a few more birds without issues. The day run is quite large plus I let them out in the front yard if I'm outside.