Basics: What is the purpose of a run?

[igorsMistress]

I don't have a run, my girls run the backyard.

However, a run can protect your flock from predators, or confine your flock to a certain area, or keep your flock from eating everything green within their reach.

I started this flock last year in February. We had grass and we had weeds all summer, they were tall enough to darn near hide in. This summer our food garden is an enclosed space, there's bird netting around grapes and the lemon tree, apparently lemon flowers are quite tasty, and no weeds or grass where the chickens roam. That's what a run could fix, but
It all depends on what's important to you. Free ranging anywhere is a risk even in a major city. But they're so happy running the yard and I love to watch them

 

[sagemccoy]

Yeah, I had no idea just how many things wanted to kill/eat chickens until I started researching!!!!!

Chickens have an instinct to roost/sleep on the highest thing available. So that's why the roost bar should be higher than the nesting boxes. I really like this article for knowing where to put things in the coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

Thanks! That link is really helpful! 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?

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

It all depends on what's important to you.

Exactly! There are trade-offs to everything!

 

[Bhapimama]

I think some of the people who responded to your question missed the part where you said you plan to let your "chooks run about the yard". I can understand why you would be confused about the purpose of a run if you plan to let them free range.
I don't know anything about your yard but I can share my experience with you. I have a large yard that is surrounded by a tall secure fence and I let my girls roam freely in my yard ALOT. But I have a run around their henhouse that is vital for managing my little flock. Sometimes I need to keep them out of my garden, or safe from a visiting friend's dog....SOMETIMES they decide to start making secret nests in the yard and hide their eggs from me. When this happens I am able to confine them to their run for a week or so and that reminds them that the proper place to lay their eggs is in their nesting boxes!
Anyways, the point is that it is handy to have a run to manage your flock when unexpected situations arise. Mine is about 15' by 25' and it surrounds their little pre-fabricated henhouse. It is very easy to maintain. I use straw on the ground to keep things dry and stink-free. I use pine shavings inside the henhouse. In the winter, when a dry day falls on the weekend, I scoop all the old hay out into my green waste pile and replace it with fresh hay. In the summer, I only have to do this every 6-8 wks. Nothing makes my girls happier than fresh hay! They LOVE to scratch around in it and find all the little rice hulls.
I hope this info is helpful and welcome to BYC

 

[PetesChicks]

Roosts should always be above the nest boxes, so they don’t sleep & poop in them. They like to sleep as high as they can, for safety. And they poop a lot when they sleep. A lot of people use poop boards under the roost, to make cleanup easier. My poop board has about 1/2 to 3/4” of sand & PDZ on it, I scoop it with a kitty litter scoop. Don’t use kitty litter in it though, as it can make the chickens sick.

The minimum recommended space is 4 sq ft in the coop, and 10 in the run for each bird. More is better, though. That way, when they are cooped up, any shy birds have a chance of getting away from bullies. Chickens make their own pecking order, and sometimes it can lead to bloodshed. Extra room helps prevent this.

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

But why are the coops often on stilts a couple of feet off the ground?

Also so that rodents don't nest underneath - if the coop is high enough so that there's no nice dark places, they are less likely to try and nest there. Our coop is a bit over two feet off the ground - I think this is more than strictly necessary for rodent-nesting-deterrent, but our coop is 8'x16' so my husband wanted to make sure plenty of daylight made it under there!

A side benefit is that our pullets love love love the area under the coop, especially on these hot summer days, it's cooler in the shade under there.

 

[townchicks]

Regarding having an enclosed run- my girls don't get the whole backyard, but they do have a large fenced off area that they"free range" in. They also have a small run attached to the coop (in the process of building a larger enclosed area). I like having an enclosed run, so that if I need or want to leave the house before sunset, I can put them in the run, and I don't have to worry about something getting to them before I get home and close the door to the coop. Coops are often built above the ground so that the chickens can utilize the ground underneath, for scratching, shade, some people put the food/water there to be out of the way. It provides more square footage in the run. More is always better. Many people prefer a walk in coop, however, for easier access,
.

 

[Bhapimama]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pre-fab-success-story.73691/
This is a link to an article I wrote about my henhouse and run. Most of the pics are when I first built it so there's nice green grass in it but in the last few pics you can see the hay

 

[PirateGirl]

So the coyotes don't eat my chickens.

Also where I live, free ranging is not permitted within town limits.

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

Many people prefer a walk in coop, however, for easier access,
.

Ours is elevated and walk in (Wood's fresh air coop)... it's massive and neighbors probably think it's an In-Law Suite or something!