Do I need a run for free ranging flock?

[paiger9801]

I currently am revamping EVERYTHING in our yard and my chickens included! So we live on a small ~5 acre property that is half wooded that backs into the river and a small man made channel. I have a current flock of 18 chickens, along with my goats, horses, and geese all living alongside each other. Anywho, I just started building 2 new coops for my chickens- an 8x12 as the main coop, and an 8x8 as my grow-out/brooding coop/chicken jail/breeding coop. I have a cackle mini surprise box coming in a few weeks so I will end up with close to 30 chickens after I sell some of those

Ok! So my question is, should I still follow the 10sq ft per chicken "rule" in building an attached run, when my chickens free range roughly an acre of pasture/forest each day? I do need some sort of secure run as my Bantam roo and several others roost outside anytime it's above freezing, as well as Mr. Owl lives about 50 yards away from my current coop and we have plenty of coon and opossum, and martens that live near the rivers edge. Would a 10x10 or 10x20 covered run do the trick? I do have a hawk that's been hanging around for months now that hasn't attacked but hangs out nearby- he's a definite worry but I think my horses and goats have so far deterred him.
My chickens free range from sun up to sun down, so they really don't use the run they have now except in inclement weather, so I guess I'd rather stick money into nicer coops that into a huge run that can manage 30+ chickens

Chicken coop + run would be to the right of my fat rescue mare along the fence line

 

[Folly's place]

Free ranging is great, as long as you are ready to have losses, sometimes one to a hawk, sometimes many to a canine. There will be times when it's necessary to keep the birds in a predator proof enclosure for weeks! After a hawk attack, or any ground predator that arrives.
Electric poultry fencing is good against most ground predators, also helpful.
And with avian influenza likely returning with the spring migration, keeping the birds under a roof, and good biosecurity, might keep them safe. Last year our flock was in for six months!
Have a good coop, large as possible, and a roofed run, not huge, but good enough for confining your birds for long periods if it's necessary. It's nice to have separate areas that can be closed off to separate groups too.
Currently our coop/ run combination is 13'x 24', and has held up to forty birds (some bantams) comfortably. It has five separate areas, so birds can be out of sight of each other, and can be closed off as needed. Right now we have 27 birds, including bantams, and it's not at all crowded. We currently have a lot of hawk activity, and snow and ice, and everyone is locked inside.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Nice mare!
Mary

 

[paiger9801]

Free ranging is great, as long as you are ready to have losses, sometimes one to a hawk, sometimes many to a canine. There will be times when it's necessary to keep the birds in a predator proof enclosure for weeks! After a hawk attack, or any ground predator that arrives.
Electric poultry fencing is good against most ground predators, also helpful.
And with avian influenza likely returning with the spring migration, keeping the birds under a roof, and good biosecurity, might keep them safe. Last year our flock was in for six months!
Have a good coop, large as possible, and a roofed run, not huge, but good enough for confining your birds for long periods if it's necessary. It's nice to have separate areas that can be closed off to separate groups too.
Currently our coop/ run combination is 13'x 24', and has held up to forty birds (some bantams) comfortably. It has five separate areas, so birds can be out of sight of each other, and can be closed off as needed. Right now we have 27 birds, including bantams, and it's not at all crowded. We currently have a lot of hawk activity, and snow and ice, and everyone is locked inside.
Mary

Do you happen to have a picture of your run? I'm a visual person, and the separation and ability to close off certain areas is intriguing and would be perfect!

 

[3chickchicks]

I would still do a run. I've always let my chickens free range but there had been enough times where I had to put them or leave them in the run that I'll always have one just in case. The run part of the coop isn't all that expensive compared to the rest of it.

 

[SituationalLefty]

Chicken coop + run would be to the right of my fat rescue mare along the fence line

LOL your mare. Mine too!

 

[paiger9801]

LOL your mare. Mine too!

She likes to eat so do I. LOL. That one was a neglect case that came in to me severely emaciated though, so seeing her fat makes me much happier than where we started!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Answer. NO.

Flock in sig. They have acres of electric fence protected pasture. I leave the doors on the coop open. The other coop doesn't even have doors on it.

A run is NOT required.

That said, I **DO** lose a few to predation every year -mostly aerial predators. Last year, lost one when a tree fell on the electric fence and some (still unknown) predator bypassed it before I had a weekend and a fresh chain on the saw to chop up said tree and remove it.

and there are reasons a run (or better, a covered run) is still wise. I raise my hatchlings, for instance, in a (cloth) covered run attached to my barn, in the middle of the pasture. They are more vulnerable to aerial predation. It allows "see and be seen" integration while keeping them safe from larger, older flock members. It keeps the goats from accidentally stepping on them, and it allows me to feed them differently than my adults.

 

[paiger9801]

Answer. NO.

Flock in sig. They have acres of electric fence protected pasture. I leave the doors on the coop open. The other coop doesn't even have doors on it.

A run is NOT required.

That said, I **DO** lose a few to predation every year -mostly aerial predators. Last year, lost one when a tree fell on the electric fence and some (still unknown) predator bypassed it before I had a weekend and a fresh chain on the saw to chop up said tree and remove it.

and there are reasons a run (or better, a covered run) is still wise. I raise my hatchlings, for instance, in a (cloth) covered run attached to my barn, in the middle of the pasture. They are more vulnerable to aerial predation. It allows "see and be seen" integration while keeping them safe from larger, older flock members. It keeps the goats from accidentally stepping on them, and it allows me to feed them differently than my adults.

I did end up drawing up plans for a smaller 8x24ft run. It's not technically big enough for what my 2 flocks add up to, but it will mainly only be actually shut at night or when we are on vacation. The run will also be made as separate 8x8 "panels", so I can move and reconfigure it to either make it bigger or smaller as needed. Figure that's the easiest bet, for those just in case moments!

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I extreme free range. I prefer my chickens to roost in trees. I think its safer in the long term. I generally only use coops for breeding projects.

However, I’d still recommend having a coop and run for the same reason I’d recommend someone who has cattle to have a cattle chute. Having a way to contain or separate the flock can be useful.