Appx. 8 x 8 coop, 9 chickens (more eventually). But how big for the run?

[HouseMouseHens]

We are converting a wooden playhouse that is almost 7 1/2 feet by 8 feet(and 8 1/2 feet at the peak of the roof) into our coop, adding three nesting boxes, and we're going to build a fenced in run with a six foot high roof since it rains so much here in the Pacific Northwest. We've never had chickens before, so were not sure how large to make the run... Space isn't really a problem as we don't much use our backyard for anything yet, and we just ripped out everything back there to start fresh and build the yard around the coop. The run will be attached to the right side of the coop and will extend out from there. I was thinking maybe 8 feet deep (front to back) to stay close to the size of the coop, but how long should we extend it out? just 8 feet? 10? 12? 12 is probably the biggest I'll want to go, but is that too big? We're getting 9 chicks in the next couple weeks, and we'll be finishing the coop and run in the next few months while the babies are in the brooder. We may eventually have as many as 12 hens, as that is how many our coop will hold comfortably, and may in the next couple years build a smaller coop for a few ducks that may or may not share the run...

So... thoughts? I'm leaning towards 12, but is that too big?

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Make the run as big as you can. You can never have too much space, but you can have too little. Chickens need 4 sq feet of space in the coop and 10 sq feet of space in the run.

 

[chickenbythesea]

i agree... go big! you'll think at first that you've made this huge run... then you'll get a few more hens and realize it's not as big as you thought it was and will want to make it bigger. I started with one "huge" run out the front of my coop... realized I wanted more... made a second run out of the back of the coop and I still want more... just haven't thought of where to put it

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us!

The smaller or more crowded you have it, the more you are going to have to "manage" the poop. I'd go as big as I can and try to not overcrowd it.

In the Pacific Northwest, your biggest problem will probably be a wet run. Wet runs stink. There is not a lot you can do about that if the run gets wet and stays wet. The more poop in it the worse it will stink. So if you can spread the poop out over a larger area, you are better off.

Rain does not just fall straight down. Wind blows it in from the side. If you have a predominant wind directiion, you might want to put something solid over there to try to keep rain out of the run. But the important thing is to have good drainage. Your run needs to be fixed so you keep as much water out as you can and any water that gets in will drain out, not just set there. From what I know of your area, the rain is not usually hard but more of a gentle mist type rain.

I use berms and swales to keep rainwater runoff from going into my run. I was lucky enough to be able to position it on a bit of a rise anyway so it drains pretty well. You may not have that option. One good solution is to build it up a bit with sand. Sand drains really well as long as the water has a place to go. The biggest problem with it is that it tends to work its way down into the dirt or wash away. You may need to contain it around the sides of your run and occasionally replenish it.

Here is a link to an article about fixing a muddy run. It's easiest to fix while you are building it.

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

I know I'm sounding like doom and gloom. It is not necessarily that way, Plenty of people successfully keep chickens and ducks in your area so it is not impossible at all. But the more you crowd your area the more potential for problems. Don't make the mistake of trying to shoehorn the maximum number of chickens into your area. Give them some extra room. You'll have fewer problems and won't have to work as hard.

 

[Time-Out]

I voted that you're insane, just because you are to get involved with chickens!

If space is no issue, I would highly recommend going as big as possible. Forget the 10sqft of run space per chicken, that's if you don't have the space. The bigger it is, the less (even none) maintenance it'll take, PLUS the girls can have grass, which they wouldn't be able to keep if you followed the 10sqft rule. I'm trying to stick to a minimum of 25sqft per chicken. Don't forget, that's only 5' by 5', so not very big at all.