Free range chicken run for rainy days

[rockadoodledoo]

Our chickens will be free range 98% of the time on our 12 acre property inside of a 1 acre yard. But it can rain a lot here in East-Central Texas. I was wanting to build a covered run for them for rainy days to stretch their legs. We have 12 chickens but only 6-8 of them will be using this run at a time(the others already have a prefab coop/run combo). How big should this new run be if they will only need it for two days or so at a time? They will still have access to the rest of the yard. I just want a covered run next to their coop should they decide to hang out under it. Thanks!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Our chickens will be free range 98% of the time on our 12 acre property inside of a 1 acre yard. But it can rain a lot here in East-Central Texas. I was wanting to build a covered run for them for rainy days to stretch their legs. We have 12 chickens but only 6-8 of them will be using this run at a time(the others already have a prefab coop/run combo). How big should this new run be if they will only need it for two days or so at a time? They will still have access to the rest of the yard. I just want a covered run next to their coop should they decide to hang out under it. Thanks!

Are you saying your chickens are confined to a 1 acre chicken yard? Free-range means they can go where they want without being fenced in----but 1 acre is a good size chicken yard. I have covers in several locations around the property they can get under if it starts to rain or if the rooster sounds a Hawk alarm.

 

[rockadoodledoo]

@PD-Riverman They will be able to get out of the yard if they want and onto the rest of the property. The fence is for keeping the cows out, not the chickens in.

 

[PD-Riverman]

@PD-Riverman They will be able to get out of the yard if they want and onto the rest of the property. The fence is for keeping the cows out, not the chickens in.

OK---I was going by what you had posted----"""Our chickens will be free range 98% of the time on our 12 acre property inside of a 1 acre yard""" and did not understand how they can free range on the 12 acre property but inside a 1 acre yard??? Sorry??.

 

[rockadoodledoo]

@PD-Riverman So enclosed in a 1 acre yard is not free range, but a 12 acre pasture that is fenced off aswell makes them free range? What amount of space makes them free range?

 

[yyz0yyz0]

@PD-Riverman So enclosed in a 1 acre yard is not free range, but a 12 acre pasture that is fenced off aswell makes them free range? What amount of space makes them free range?

Terminology is all relative!

Some consider true "free range" to mean they don't feed their birds and they find their own food while out and about. To do this you need a good sized space with a variety of terrain so the birds can find enough to eat
Myself, if I let my birds out of their barren fenced run and let them wander around the yard and slightly into the woods along the edge but while still having commercial feed available to be free ranging at that time.

 

[rockadoodledoo]

@PD-Riverman OK--- I was going by what you had posted--- """Free range means they can go where they want without being fenced in""" and did not understand how much space it takes for you to consider it free range. But I guess if it's relative terminology, then my 1 acre chickens are free range even if they couldn't get onto the rest of the property.

 

[PD-Riverman]

@PD-Riverman So enclosed in a 1 acre yard is not free range, but a 12 acre pasture that is fenced off aswell makes them free range? What amount of space makes them free range?

You just not understanding my main question on post #2--Let Me Try To Explain!!!! I am not saying your 1 acre can not be considered free ranging. I was saying I do not understand your post----read your #1 post. """"Our chickens will be free range 98% of the time on our 12 acre property""""(((( OK the chickens will be free ranging on your 12 acre property 98% of the time)))-----wait---then you added this """ inside of a 1 acre yard"" are they going to be free ranging on 12 acres or a 1 acre yard???---I was trying to figure out what you meant-----But I think I figured it out but was asking----I think you were saying your chickens will be free ranging inside a 1 acre yard 98% of the time--- mentioning how much land you owned had nothing to do with where they will be free ranging because they will not be free ranging on the 12 acres----just the 1 acre? Is what I was asking? But with the last couple post---I now feel sure that was what you mean.

To answer your question---I do not know how much land it would take to consider them free-ranging----how the land is set-up would make a difference too I think. If a acre was in the middle of a open field or a acre was including some tree's and open field, pond, etc???

My chickens are let out of their run into a 6ft high fenced in 1 1/2 acre area----has open yard, grass, lots of tree's for them to scratch through and they have close 100yards of a lake edge to scratch in, eat tadpoles if they want etc------I never considered them free-ranging but maybe they are??

 

[mobius]

Think 10 sq ft per chicken (this would be about minimum) if they are confined for a couple of days. Give them lots of fun toys to play with...it helps. Pretty rainy here right now too!