A friend of my son (age 8) at school has some backyard chickens and now my son is obsessed with getting some as well.
We have a 6'-0" x 12'-0" lean-to off the back side of our barn which should be more than enough room for 4 or so hens (no more than 6).
My question is this - my son's friend doesn't ever let their chickens outside, they are 100% of the time cooped up in their coop, they have no free range, no run, no nothing, - they just spend all day every day in their coop.
That can't be good/healthy for the chickens can it? Don't you have to have a run or something for your chickens to get some outside time? I'm just curious because I told my son that if we get chickens then we would have to build a pen/run for them as well (free range isn't a option), and that is when he said "no we don't, Jack never lets his chickens out"............. I guess I just didn't think that it was ok to have the chickens cooped up like that constantly.
We have a 6'-0" x 12'-0" lean-to off the back side of our barn which should be more than enough room for 4 or so hens (no more than 6).
My question is this - my son's friend doesn't ever let their chickens outside, they are 100% of the time cooped up in their coop, they have no free range, no run, no nothing, - they just spend all day every day in their coop.
That can't be good/healthy for the chickens can it? Don't you have to have a run or something for your chickens to get some outside time? I'm just curious because I told my son that if we get chickens then we would have to build a pen/run for them as well (free range isn't a option), and that is when he said "no we don't, Jack never lets his chickens out"............. I guess I just didn't think that it was ok to have the chickens cooped up like that constantly.