Coop run for free range hens?

[Ridgerunner]

Tools are tools and can often be used in different ways.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Tools are tools and can often be used in different ways.

Yes, but I'm wondering whether or not placing the french drain outside the run would make it more effective.

 

[Ridgerunner]

More effective. Better. Best. How well it works in one position versus another if it is effective at all will vary depending on the lay of the land, where the water is coming from, soil type, and other things. Each circumstance is different. What works best for one might not be what works best for another.

 

[Bob 1313]

Hello all,

We purchased 9 one week old Brahmas and will only keep the hens. Hopefully at least 7 are hens. We will be keeping them as egg layers, not for eating. Many of our neighbors have free range chickens so there aren’t many predators in the immediate area (Meridian, Idaho).

The plan: To let them roam the yard all day and our yard is roughly 50’ x 35’ (ball park, might be bigger). With the exception of weekly mowing during the season and when we have occasional guest that might be scared of the big birds.

I am in the designing stage of our coop and have a couple questions…

First question, if the plan is to have them free range the majority of their life, do I need to take up yard space and make a 16’+ run?

2nd question, does the 4sqft (coop) per bird apply if keeping them locked up w/the run or can the coop be built in the 3sqft per bird if free ranging?
I was leaning towards a 6’x5’ raised coop and adding 6’ of run (12’x5’ of space when locked up).

Thoughts, suggestions, improvements?

Thanks for any feedback!

We let ours free range for years. Predators finally found us. Coyote took one right in front of the wife. She has never gotten over it. Now they are in covered, chain link runs.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Oh ty for the welcome.
I haven’t quite decided on walk-in or not. I do want a raised coop so there is more room to walk and a raised coop would allow me to clean the bedding from outside, right into a wheelbarrow . I’ve seen some with a diy shovel to sweep out the bedding that I’ll likely make.

All the chicks are the same age, just 3 different breeds of Brahmas.
Good insight on the 4’ narrow path that could irritate a more aggressive chicken.

Yes, I understand the keyboard police are everywhere and we just have to weed through for the gold nuggets.

I took measurements yesterday and this is the area I’m working with.
On the side of my house I have a 56” width area that is 25’ long. I’m thinking of using that as the run along the dividing vinyl fence I share with my neighbor. This side always has overgrowth during the neighbors vegetation season and the birds could help me clean that up. From the start of the 25’ run, I’ll make a 6’x56” coop with a wood run, totaling 14’. The 14’ coop/run plus the 25’ run seems like it would be enough, right?

I was thinking to add something to the perimeter of the fence 2’ deep so no potential predators intrude in the coop/run, specifically the neighbors friendly dog (we don’t know how he would act with birds but just in case). I’m thinking of adding a French drain to lessen any water the side of the house gets and push it towards the front of the yard/street.

Measured my yard from the back sliding doors (excluding the 56”x25’ side and the 9’x17’ side of the house) and the yard is 61’x50’. I must of confused the numbers from the time I was trying to convince my wife to build a little shop in the back.

Last but not least, here is the chicken coop inspo picture. The coop will have 3 doors vs. 2. Not sure what you call it but it’ll look like a truck bed that folds down to clean the bedding. I also plan to make dual purpose windows for added ventilation.

Video of how ill make the dual functioning doors/windows @0:32sec

Thoughts, suggestions?

i have this exact coop. My favorite feature are the windows that open into the run. Those stay open almost year round in Connecticut. good luck!

 

[RobertaD1]

I love my Brahmas! But, be aware that they are big birds.... they will need room to get onto the roost! These girls will need the extra room! They will get tempramental if their space is too small.

 

[TaylorGlade]

The only way I’ll get more is if we buy a bigger property. Between now and then, this is the max hens I want hah. We already have a cockatiel and a 110gl reef tank that needs our attention

LOL! I said the same thing with our first batch. Now, we have two coops - and David is wanting another!

 

[BGcoop]

I personally would not put the run next to the house, my chickens actually seek out the side of the house while free ranging to sunbathe in the heat that radiates off the siding, and in the process dig deep holes next to the house and kick all sorts of dust up onto the siding(the dirt is usually dry there too from the roof overhang which makes it the ideal spot for them to dig and sun and dust bathe but it’s terrible for me to have to keep filling holes and cleaning the dust from the siding)

 

[Liz Birdlover]

If they have to stay in the coop during bad weather, they need the larger amount of space, and sometimes even more.

If they have to stay in the coop after they wake up in the morning, waiting for you to come open a door and let them out, they also need the larger amount of space.

Given how big Brahmas can grow, I would not try to shrink the space at all. The only reason they can get away without even MORE space is that they tend to be particularly calm and docile. (Hatchery-quality ones may not grow as big, but may not be as calm either, so it works out to about the same space needs either way.)


Do you have cold winters, with snow all over the ground for weeks or months at a time? If yes, you should either build a covered run, or plan on making your coop bigger because they will have to spend so much time indoors.

Chickens usually do not like to walk in the snow, and the snow covers all the interesting things on the ground so they have no reason to come outside at all. They don't like cold wind either.

A run with a roof can provide a snow-free area for the chickens to spend time outside the coop in the winter.

To make the run more pleasant during the winter, you also want to block wind coming in from the sides. That might already happen because of your house, the coop, a perimeter fence, trees, or whatever other things are already present on your property. Or you might want to put up tarps or big pieces of plastic on some sides of the run during the winter (but do not enclose it completely, because you want enough ventilation to keep it from getting stinky inside.)

I wish I had covered at least parts of my runs, because we have gotten so much rain lately. Just want to add, a muddy run like mine, even trying to add sand or mulch, does not allow the proper amount of dustbathing to deter mites. Think of dry dustbathing area, too, happy & mite free is best.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

LOL! I said the same thing with our first batch. Now, we have two coops - and David is wanting another!

We're on coop 3 here & now I'm thinking of #4