Chicken Run

[lalydiafaith]

Hi everyone! I'm a beginner at chicken raising and need some advice/feedback. I'm working on building a coop and then i'm going to need a run. I live in the city and have a good size backyard. I am getting 4 chickens to start out with, so i need some advice on how big my run needs to be. And i want them to be happy as well. They will not be free ranging since i have neighbors that have dogs and no fence in between our yard. So they will not be coming out of the run very often. You are more than welcome to give me any other advice and i appreciate the tips and feedback! -Lydia

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

There is no such thing as too much space, so give them as much space as you can...the absolute minimum is 10 sq ft per bird, but as you are anticipating nearly constant confinement I would suggest at least 20 per bird. Build bigger now so you don't have to build again later if you decide to grow your flock

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Is your yard fenced? If not, with the dogs as a concern build extra secure....a fenced yard adds a layer of security that you will need to make up for in an unfenced yard. Either way, poultry netting alone is not secure, use hardware cloth

 

[nminusyplusm]

Welcome to BYC! X2 what Ol Grey Mare said. How many chickens are you allowed to have? I'd build a coop and run for that number because chicken math

 

[lalydiafaith]

Is your yard fenced? If not, with the dogs as a concern build extra secure....a fenced yard adds a layer of security that you will need to make up for in an unfenced yard. Either way, poultry netting alone is not secure, use hardware cloth

Thanks for the feedback! I don't have a fenced in yard so that's why i was wondering should i make it bigger since they won't be able to free range. So now knowing that i'll most definitely make it bigger.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Welcome! Much like you I started with 4 chickens.... we're now proud parents of over 20! Chicken math will get you haha! Build your coop, run as big as you can with the space you have available. Hardware cloth is a must for keeping them safe from predators. A covered run is best.
Best wishes!

 

[aart]

Hi everyone!

Welcome to BYC!

If dogs have access to your yard, you'll want to use some strong mesh and construction for the run. May even want double mesh, heavy gauge wire against dogs, and smaller (1/2" hardware cloth) against the small preds like rodents. There's lots of options and combos.

Where are you located?
Climate ids important for all things chicken.
It's easy to add to your profile, then it's always there!

 

[lalydiafaith]

Welcome to BYC! X2 what Ol Grey Mare said. How many chickens are you allowed to have? I'd build a coop and run for that number because chicken math

I'm only allowed to have 4 chickens.... So that's how much i'm getting. But i'm a first time owner so it's perfectly fine with me. I'm happy to be apart of the BYC community!

 

[lalydiafaith]

Welcome! Much like you I started with 4 chickens.... we're now proud parents of over 20! Chicken math will get you haha! Build your coop, run as big as you can with the space you have available. Hardware cloth is a must for keeping them safe from predators. A covered run is best.
Best wishes!

Wow! That's awesome!! I'll most definitely put hardware cloth on my list. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[lalydiafaith]

Welcome to BYC!

If dogs have access to your yard, you'll want to use some strong mesh and construction for the run. May even want double mesh, heavy gauge wire against dogs, and smaller (1/2" hardware cloth) against the small preds like rodents. There's lots of options and combos.

Where are you located?
Climate ids important for all things chicken.
It's easy to add to your profile, then it's always there!
View attachment 1327658

I'm not so worried about my neighbors dogs but of raccoons, etc. So will most definitely make my run strong and durable. Thanks for the info, i will look into that. I live in Richmond, VA. so the climate here is pretty usual. But in the summer it does get kind of hot..... Thanks for the feedback!