Do Chickens Really Need a Run?

[Cyprus]

Runs provide access to the outdoors for chickens in confinement, but are they really necessary?
I understand that if a chicken is free range they may not need a run. That's not the focus of my question. I am wondering about chickens who do not free range, who are captive 24/7.
Assuming that a coop meets adequate ventilation and square footage.
I've kept large fowl birds always with a run and adequate coop. I've never, ever given my bantams (now deceased) runs. Not even my breeding pens. What would be the considerations for going without a run? Would certain breeds not be advisable for this method? Is it detrimental to the health of the birds?
If toys are added, or flock blocks or other distractions, maybe the birds won't get too bored. Would a rooster overbreed hens in confinement?
With us approaching spring, and coop plans on the horizon, I feel this is an important topic to cover. All insight is welcome, participation is encouraged.
Some examples of coops with and without runs.

A good read on the subject: https://richsoil.com/raising-chickens.jsp

This discussion is not meant to be about critiquing me, it is meant to be an informative discussion for all readers.

 

[DobieLover]

Runs provide access to the outdoors for chickens in confinement, but are they really necessary?
I understand that if a chicken is free range they may not need a run. That's not the focus of my question. I am wondering about chickens who do not free range, who are captive 24/7.
Assuming that a coop meets adequate ventilation and square footage.
I've kept large fowl birds always with a run and adequate coop. I've never, ever given my bantams runs. Not even my breeding pens. What would be the considerations for going without a run? Would certain breeds not be advisable for this method? Is it detrimental to the health of the birds?
If toys are added, or flock blocks or other distractions, maybe the birds won't get too bored. Would a rooster overbreed hens in confinement?
With us approaching spring, and coop plans on the horizon, I feel this is an important topic to cover. All insight is welcome, participation is encouraged.
Some examples of coops with and without runs.
View attachment 1632504

I'm sure the birds could survive in a coop without a run.
And you could survive locked in your bathroom as long as someone brought you food. I don't think you'd be too happy not getting out in the fresh air and sunshine and feeling the earth beneath your feet, but you'd survive. Maybe even have fun playing with the shampoo bottles!

 

[N F C]

I can't free range due to the number of predators around here so I provide a run. I think it's healthy for the flock to be able to get outside and stretch their wings, soak up some sunshine, scratch in the dirt, break up coop boredom, etc.

No matter how large a coop is, I believe the chickens still need to be able to go outside for the benefits afforded them. If I were to relate run vs. no run to myself, no matter how large of a house I live in, I enjoy and benefit from being outside.

 

[SueT]

Another factor to consider is egg quality. Nothing compares to pasture raised eggs.
IMO, if you can get your hens out on grass, your eggs will be superior quality and better for you.
Here are definitions used for commercial eggs:

• Caged: Hens are confined to cages with a 67-square inch space each. They never see the light of day and consume a corn or soy diet. Over 90 percent of eggs in the U.S.come from hens that are kept in cages for their entire egg-laying lives.
• Cage-Free: These ladies have more room than caged hens, since each is given less than 1 square foot. Still, they’re not entirely “free,” since they’re confined to barns and consume a corn or soy diet.
• Free-Range: Allotted less than 2 square feet per hen, these animals have more space than their caged and cage-free peers, but they don’t get outdoors as much as you may think. Some seldom get to see the light of day and many eat a corn- or soy-based feed.
• Pasture-Raised: These ladies are given at least 108 square feet each and consume some feed and lots of grass, bugs, worms and anything else they can find in the dirt. They tend to be let out of the barns early in the morning and called back in before nightfall.

"Pastured-raised hens also produce healthier eggs, according to a 2003 study out of Pennsylvania State University. In it, researchers found that one pasture-raised egg contains twice as much omega-3 fat, three times more vitamin D, four times more vitamin E and seven times more beta-carotene than eggs from hens raised on traditional feed."
from Certified Humane website

 

[123RedBeard]

Ask the battery hens ... ?

 

[Mimi13]

Have you ever seen a chicken sunbathe or scratch through a pile of leaves? They dearly LOVE it!

My birds free range and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know the dangers of predation and I don’t like it, but I’m willing to chance it for their happiness. I suppose we have the usual predators: hawk, coyote, coon, possum. But my birds are locked up securely at night and for the occasional, daytime hawk flyover, the chickens have tremendous cover to flee to when alerted by the roosters, dogs, or another hen.

IMHO, a chicken being cooped up would be the equivalent to me being confined to a hospital bed. Doable? Yes, but I’d go insane. Literally.

Just yesterday evening while sitting outside I took this picture because it is representative of my total bliss, my happy place. It was chilly and drizzly, but my chickens were out milling about in the yard and my two outside dogs were content, which all made me happy.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Although I don't know of any studies I am curious what benefits from sunshine cooped birds may be missing out on.

Not saying windows couldn't exist that allow sunshine into the coop.

I have south windows on my coop and on sunny days those are open letting sun directly into the coop.

Sooooooo...... Is a run necessary?
Probably not but it is cheaper to build a good sized run than a giant coop.......

My thoughts exactly! Vitamin D...

In my very, very humble opinion, they need the space. My birds have a pretty big run (113 sq ft for 4 pullets), and it still seems kinda small to me.

But they get so excited when I open the run to let them free range. They fly out, flap their wings, and run around like kindergartners at recess. Seriously - they frolic! I'm not sure that I, in good conscience, could deny them that joy unless letting them out would put them at risk, from predators or climate or other environmental factors, etc. And there are probably set ups that I can't even imagine given my limited experience that would be workable to keep birds inside 24/7.

Ya know, that's another thing I really enjoy about BYC. We are from all over the world living in all sorts of different situations and environments, and we all keep birds for myriad different reasons. What works in my little semi-rural area might be unreasonable for an urban backyard and might seem downright silly for a farm. So while I wouldn't consider keeping them in a coop 24/7 here, who knows what I'd do elsewhere?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is a good discussion. I imagine the breed of chicken would make a significant difference. Those breeds that live to forage would, IMHO, not be pleased to spend 24/7 indoors and production would likely suffer.
Perhaps this is breed specific too but I find that roosters tend to wait till they go outside to mate.

Throughout this discussion, I was constantly reminded of a quote by Simon Barnes - "I'd sooner be a small bird in a hawk filled wood than a caged hen on a factory farm."

 

[aart]

Yes, they should have a run......
...even if they have copious amounts of space and ventilation in a coop.
....even if they free range(for protection from preds when necessary or other reasons for needing to confine).
Feet on the ground, baby.

 

[Callender Girl]

The coop in my avatar is home to a Wyandotte and two bantams. It did not come with a run, but there are plans for one in the spring. The girls can live successfully in terms of space, roosts and nesting boxes, and there is ventilation.

But I feel guilty if I don't at least let them out into a nearby run daily so they can revel in whatever sunshine we have and dig into the dirt for baths (Iowa is having quite unseasonably warm temps right now -- into the high 40s).

They sometimes do some free-ranging with my other birds, but there are some safety issues with my tiny bantams -- one of which has a bum leg -- and my very assertive rooster.

Maybe it's more about me than about the chickens, but I think they NEED to experience the outdoors, as we all do.