Basics: What is the purpose of a run?

[Lisa Wood]

I know some people have runs just for inclement weather, and chicks free range as a habit. I shave a run because mine don't free range, and tractors to let them go on grass and bug hunt. I read somewhere that it's up to the owners whether to free range, and how they handle loss. Some people are ok with the natural order of things. If I saw a hawk, which we have plenty of here, flying away with one of my live chickens, struggling and screaming, I would have to go to the cuckoo ward myself. Not to mention the effect on the Roos and others hens. So I dont handle loss of my animals very well. People I do much better.

 

[rosemarythyme]

But why are the coops often on stilts a couple of feet off the ground? Is it just ease of cleaning? Or Do they like to hang out underneath?

It's a design decision you have to make, and there's pros and cons for having it elevated or on the ground (or in between).

Pros for elevating is it can provide the chickens with extra space, shade, and cover, and it adds a little extra protection from digging pests and predators. Cons would be that they can be difficult to clean, and if a sick chicken takes shelter under there or a chicken lays eggs under there, good luck crawling in to get to it.

Pros for having a coop directly on the ground would be saving costs on having to build a floor, easier to get in and out of (if you're building it to walk-in height), and generally easier to clean. Cons would be possibly easier predator/pest access, and possibly faster weathering on the wood due to contact with ground moisture.

My coop is kind of in between, elevated about 6" (on pressure treated skids on top of concrete footers), because we get a lot of rain, and this will help keep the floor from rotting out. Since it's only 6" it's not something I want the chickens going under (or rodents) so the entire base area is surrounded with hardware cloth.

 

[RodNTN]

I agree with @Bhapimama. You may think a run is not necessary if you are planning to free range, but it may be very convenient if unexpected situations come up.
For instance, we live in the sticks, on 23 acres, and I let my chickens free range dawn till dusk, 7 days a week. But we do have plenty of predators that are eager for a chicken dinner, and if something happens (like a random predator attack) I'll let the flock scratch around in their run for a few days before it blows over.
That also goes for when I or any of my family members won't be around to keep an eye on things.

To make a long story short: I would recommend building one, it'll come in handy

 

[Hopperkiller]

Thanks! I updated. We're in Northwest Arkansas. We def have a few raccoons in our neighborhood. And we hear coyotes sometimes. We're in the middle of the city, but in a nice little wooded area, so there is some wildlife we've been concerned about during our research!

I patrolled urban nightshifts with 100,000 population for years. I saw, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, racoons, possums, feral dogs and cats. In a larger urban area a mother coyote raised her litter in a concrete storm drain in the Dallas urban area. Make no mistake about the adaptability and resourcefullness of predators. 6 foot fences will not stop coyotes and foxes though some people believe they will. Reseach any of these mentioned animals in urban areas and you will see why many backyard chicken keepers go to great lengths to protect their flock. The others are depending on luck.

 

[sagemccoy]

This is our backyard. If you look a the bottom pic, you can see the trees and clearing past the chain-link fence. We own the property right up until the clearing. This is where we are thinking about putting the chickens. It will be quite a project. We need to clear out that area and fence it in before we start on a chicken coop.

The boyfriend has asked "Well, do we NEED to fence it in? Won't they know where home is and just come back to the coop when it's bedtime?" (He's not being defensive or contrary for contrary's sake, he's a very logical human and likes to know the Why's. "I dunno, because everyone else does" is hardly ever a satisfying answer for him.) But from what I'm gathering here, that would be incredibly unsafe for the little ladies. Also, learning that chickens are not super intelligent

Also, are deer a safety concern? We have a TON of them in our neighborhood (such a cute nuisance).

 

[Hopperkiller]

This is our backyard. If you look a the bottom pic, you can see the trees and clearing past the chain-link fence. We own the property right up until the clearing. This is where we are thinking about putting the chickens. It will be quite a project. We need to clear out that area and fence it in before we start on a chicken coop.

The boyfriend has asked "Well, do we NEED to fence it in? Won't they know where home is and just come back to the coop when it's bedtime?" (He's not being defensive or contrary for contrary's sake, he's a very logical human and likes to know the Why's. "I dunno, because everyone else does" is hardly ever a satisfying answer for him.) But from what I'm gathering here, that would be incredibly unsafe for the little ladies. Also, learning that chickens are not super intelligent

Also, are deer a safety concern?

The aforemention predators see a lot of cover to get close unnoticed. That chain link will hold back dogs only. Deer are not a problem but might eat any scratch left out or garden plants.

 

[Aerliss]

No fence = super easy dinner for local predators. I'd have thought that would be obvious for someone so logical Seriously though, check out the predator and pests section to see just how much work it is in some parts to keep chickens safe even in their coop. Some people do fully free range, but accept that they will lose some, and they will have to do something about predators.

Deer might steal chicken food if it's not fenced in, but other than that there shouldn't be an issue... unless you brood outside. Deer are now known to be opportunistic omnivores... ... I'll let you search YouTube for yourself, but io9 did a write up; https://io9.gizmodo.com/field-cameras-catch-deer-eating-birds-wait-why-do-deer-1689440870

Not actually likely to be an issue, to be honest, but just wanted you to know. Deer are creepy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The boyfriend has asked "Well, do we NEED to fence it in? Won't they know where home is and just come back to the coop when it's bedtime?"

If you do decide to free range them, yes they'll know that the coop is home and come back when it's bedtime. The main difference with free ranging vs full time run is are you willing to take some predator losses? That's something that you need to decide.