Chicken holding pen or chicken run?

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Platinumphoenix

In the Brooder
Jan 5, 2024
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So I need to double check my plan for a chicken holding pen. I call it a holding pen and not chicken run because my chicken are fully free range. They are not housed in anyway except being enclosed at night in a covered roost. I'm surrounded by woods for miles so I'm not worried about them bothering a neighbor. Anyway my roost is 8x8 hoop pen. There's a door on one end. My plan is to add a 8x8 sheltered holding pen on the other end, with a hatch for access. On the very few days I need to hold them back, I'll open the hatch instead of the door. This way they'll have an 8x8 outdoor area along with the 8x8 coop.

Now most days I open the door to the coop and let them roam the property as they see fit. But some days I hold them in their coop with a pan of snacks and water until afternoon. Occasionally the weather is atrocious enough I'll hold them in the coop for a day or two with snacks and water. I wager they spend no more then 7-10 days are year of this extra coop time. My plan is to open the hatch during these times to give them outside grazing while they wait for me to officially open the door for them. I figure they probably wouldn't scratch it to bare ground because they won't have daily access to the holding pen.

Knowing this I wanted to check in with everyone that a 8x8 holding pen used for this propose isn't too awfully small. I'll throw PASTURE seed in there, but if it stays bare, eh, so be it.
 
Platinumphoenix said:
So I need to double check my plan for a chicken holding pen. I call it a holding pen and not chicken run because my chicken are fully free range. They are not housed in anyway except being enclosed at night in a covered roost. I'm surrounded by woods for miles so I'm not worried about them bothering a neighbor. Anyway my roost is 8x8 hoop pen. There's a door on one end. My plan is to add a 8x8 sheltered holding pen on the other end, with a hatch for access. On the very few days I need to hold them back, I'll open the hatch instead of the door. This way they'll have an 8x8 outdoor area along with the 8x8 coop.

Now most days I open the door to the coop and let them roam the property as they see fit. But some days I hold them in their coop with a pan of snacks and water until afternoon. Occasionally the weather is atrocious enough I'll hold them in the coop for a day or two with snacks and water. I wager they spend no more then 7-10 days are year of this extra coop time. My plan is to open the hatch during these times to give them outside grazing while they wait for me to officially open the door for them. I figure they probably wouldn't scratch it to bare ground because they won't have daily access to the holding pen.

Knowing this I wanted to check in with everyone that a 8x8 holding pen used for this propose isn't too awfully small. I'll throw PASTURE seed in there, but if it stays bare, eh, so be it.
Click to expand...
We got a good deal on dog kennel panels at a hardware store that made a 5x20' pen that is butted up to the coop and their chicken door is inside of it. We leave it open 99% of the time as they free range, but when windchill or temps get too low, I'll open the chicken door then shut the kennel door. It's covered with 14 mil greenhouse tarping and gets like 30F in there even when it's 10F outside. This was before we covered it

. IMG_0388.JPG

Welcome to BYC!! :frow
 
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