Basics: What is the purpose of a run?

[townchicks]

Ok, @Thyme4Chickens, now you're making me jealous!

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

Sorry!!! If we lived closer I'd hire out my husband to build you one, too! This first one only took about three months to reach "chicken livable" state (does "done" exist for a coop???) He said if he every build another one he now knows how to built it faster

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

@sagemccoy - another thing I've learned since being on this forum is that certain times of the year there are spikes in predator activity. Like when they are raising/feeding their young, teaching them to hunt, etc. So a predator-proof run might be the way to go for those times, even if you choose to free-range other times.

 

[JDN]

Also, almost all the coop designs have the roosting part a couple feet off the ground. What is the purpose of this? Sorry if these are simple questions, I'm really trying to fully understand everything, and there's a LOT to comb through on this site. Having a blast reading through threads though!!

Chickens will roost at the highest point they can access. Its an instinctual thing. So, the roost bar needs to be the highest point available to them, higher than the tops of the feeder, higher than the next box, etc...Because they do most of their pooping at night.

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?

It Saves on materials cost, gives the chickens a shaded spot...I don't think it makes anything easier to clean.

 

[sagemccoy]

Y'all have been incredibly helpful! I honestly dreamed about chicken research last night after browsing the site for a couple hours before bed.

 

[Aerliss]

We plan to let our future chooks run about the yard,

Here's his mistake; he thinks that plan won't change, or that there won't be some kind of emergency crop up. Plan for as many eventualities as possible.

I'd love to let mine fr all day, but neighbours and my plants aside there are too many predators around. I live in suburban UK, so we don't have coyotes or anything, but foxes, feral cats, and hawks are all in my area (hawk only because the drought has driven her out of her normal territory in the nature reserve... herring gulls gave her a good yelling at).

The run let's them have space without loosing out on safety. It keeps their feeders free from wild birds and prevents the garden from becoming one huge dust bath. I tell yah, even the rabbits don't dig as many holes in the lawn as the chickens!

So you may find that the free ranging doesn't work out the way you planned, or that something happens that means your birds need to be kept enclosed for a period, like a disease outbreak, or even a broken fence. For example, bird flu is creeping across the UK, and keepers are being told in some areas to keep their birds in covered runs.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I find a run helpful even though They free range during the day. for the days that someone might not be home before dark I just don’t let them free range since nobody will be home to let them in that way they still have proper play area. And I think 640 ft.² is plenty for mine. More than plenty Plus when they eat in the morning I preferred to keep their food in there run rather than the coop to avoid spilled feed and mice problems or bugs in the coop Also sometimes when you get chickens you end up with predators you didn’t really know we’re often in the area. But since you have chickens they will know you And you can be prepared with a protected play area for them

 

[Ridgerunner]

What is the purpose of a run? Is it necessary if you plan to free range your chickens?

A run can keep chickens in or it can keep predators out. Chickens can get out of your yard and bother the neighbors. They can and will destroy gardens or landscaping beds. They can and will poop on patios, porches, or chairs. If you are entertaining in your back yard you might not want them to be interacting with you. There are all kinds of reasons you might want to contain them. A run gives you the flexibility to contain them if you want to.

Lots of things like to eat chickens. Say something starts picking off a chicken a day. What are you going to do? If you have a predator proof run (or at least predator-resistant) you can lock them in the coop/run until you deal with the predator.

Sometimes hens don't lay in the nests but rather hide nests around your yard. One way to train them to lay eggs where you can find them (hopefully in the nests but that's another thread) is to lock them in the coop or coop/run until they get in the habit of laying there.

Some people start out with the idea that they are going to restrict their chickens to a coop and run and build that way. If you plan to give your chickens access to your back yard a run gives you a lot of flexibility in dealing with things that might happen.

Why do some people build their coops on stilts?

You will find that there is no one way to build a coop. Your climate, how many chickens you have, whether or not you will integrate new chicken later, rural or urban, flock make-up, just a tremendous number of variables factor in. I personally prefer a large walk-in coop, that suits my goals extremely well. For people in small urban backyards with a limited number of chickens, usually all hens, a small elevated coop is a good way to save space and make clean-out easy. It provides a shady space in the summer and a dry place to feed them outside. My grow-out coop is elevated which adds some interesting aspects. I have trouble training them to go into that coop at night to sleep compared to my two coops on the ground. Space can be really tight, vertical space as well as bottom area. An elevated coop is probably more cold-sensitive in areas of extreme cold (You will not see that in Northwest Arkansas. Your coldest will probably be a few degrees below zero. To me extreme cold is more like -20 F or colder.)

For a lot of people, especially in small back yards, a small elevated coop is a good option.

It sounds like you are in one of the cities or towns, more urban that rural. If so, you need to check to see what the legal requirements for chickens in the city limits are. I suggest you call the county extension office and chat with them about it. Several years ago when Fayetteville first allowed chickens the county extension service put on a seminar to discuss those limitations and restrictions. Those were pretty severe. No more than four, no males, no butchering, certain things about containing them. I think Fayetteville relaxed some of those things a couple of years back but I've moved away. I don't know any more. Any of the many towns or cities up there can have their own restrictions. Even HOA's in the county can have something about chickens in their bylaws. The extension office should be able to point you in the right direction to find out wherever you are.

I think I welcomed you in another thread but nothing wrong with doing it again Hi!

 

[sagemccoy]

What is the purpose of a run? Is it necessary if you plan to free range your chickens?

A run can keep chickens in or it can keep predators out. Chickens can get out of your yard and bother the neighbors. They can and will destroy gardens or landscaping beds. They can and will poop on patios, porches, or chairs. If you are entertaining in your back yard you might not want them to be interacting with you. There are all kinds of reasons you might want to contain them. A run gives you the flexibility to contain them if you want to.

Lots of things like to eat chickens. Say something starts picking off a chicken a day. What are you going to do? If you have a predator proof run (or at least predator-resistant) you can lock them in the coop/run until you deal with the predator.

Sometimes hens don't lay in the nests but rather hide nests around your yard. One way to train them to lay eggs where you can find them (hopefully in the nests but that's another thread) is to lock them in the coop or coop/run until they get in the habit of laying there.

Some people start out with the idea that they are going to restrict their chickens to a coop and run and build that way. If you plan to give your chickens access to your back yard a run gives you a lot of flexibility in dealing with things that might happen.

Why do some people build their coops on stilts?

You will find that there is no one way to build a coop. Your climate, how many chickens you have, whether or not you will integrate new chicken later, rural or urban, flock make-up, just a tremendous number of variables factor in. I personally prefer a large walk-in coop, that suits my goals extremely well. For people in small urban backyards with a limited number of chickens, usually all hens, a small elevated coop is a good way to save space and make clean-out easy. It provides a shady space in the summer and a dry place to feed them outside. My grow-out coop is elevated which adds some interesting aspects. I have trouble training them to go into that coop at night to sleep compared to my two coops on the ground. Space can be really tight, vertical space as well as bottom area. An elevated coop is probably more cold-sensitive in areas of extreme cold (You will not see that in Northwest Arkansas. Your coldest will probably be a few degrees below zero. To me extreme cold is more like -20 F or colder.)

For a lot of people, especially in small back yards, a small elevated coop is a good option.

It sounds like you are in one of the cities or towns, more urban that rural. If so, you need to check to see what the legal requirements for chickens in the city limits are. I suggest you call the county extension office and chat with them about it. Several years ago when Fayetteville first allowed chickens the county extension service put on a seminar to discuss those limitations and restrictions. Those were pretty severe. No more than four, no males, no butchering, certain things about containing them. I think Fayetteville relaxed some of those things a couple of years back but I've moved away. I don't know any more. Any of the many towns or cities up there can have their own restrictions. Even HOA's in the county can have something about chickens in their bylaws. The extension office should be able to point you in the right direction to find out wherever you are.

I think I welcomed you in another thread but nothing wrong with doing it again Hi!

That is incredibly helpful! I am in Fayetteville, and several of our neighbors have a few hens. Ozark Natural Foods (our local co-op) has a couple classes a year that goes over what's allowed. Also planning on dropping a note in a neighbor's mailbox to get their perspective on having chickens in our neighborhood.

Thank you thank you thank you for the time and effort you all have put into my questions Next to-do for me is to take some pics of my yard and see what y'all think! The more I learn, the more I think we'll have to wait til next year to actually get hens, but it's so exciting that they are possible at all!

 

[Birdsong 82]

I elevated my coop because when you build a shelter if you leave 12 to 18 inches of space underneath it it helps airflow which actually keeps it warmer inside in the winter. But I blocked off the area underneath the coop because sometimes they will decide they’d like to lay an egg under there. And then it’s not so easy to get to that age. But I could Understand not blocking it if there are no other areas of shade around.