HELP. SMALL CHICKEN RUN.

[WalnutTree]

Well, doubtful your parents will listen to random strangers online. Rule of thumb is 10 sq. ft per bird in the run and 3-6 sq. feet in the coop. So the run should be 110 sq. ft, not including the space the coop is taking up. Looks like the birds can get under the coop though, so that would count as run space. Do you have the actual measurements of the run and coop?

It might sound bizarre but that's the obky way they listen! Thanks for the response. The entire run is 10 X 11

 

[LadiesAndJane]

It might sound bizarre but that's the obky way they listen! Thanks for the response. The entire run is 10 X 11

Agree, run size is good and I think you can make this work with some of the suggestions others have posted. Good luck with everything, would love to see a photo when everything is completed.

 

[WalnutTree]

Oh wow…4K to spend just to make the run!? Your family could done it themselves for WAY less! Way less money. I hope the 4K included to build that coop! That look like EZ brand coop?

I would move the coop out of the run to be “next to it” by connecting the run with the coop. That way there is plenty of space. Having the coop in the center of the run make it less space available for roaming.

I don’t think you need make a swing. Just provide perches.

Thanks for the response! I know its completely crazy. If I had the time to do it myself, It probably would only cost me about 400 bucks. But yes they are paying that hefty sum. Luckily we can afford it as we have just sold our old house for 800,000.
And thanks to you all, I was able to show them they need more space and the coop is now outside the run! Hurrah! Also, the swing is just for fun with the amount of space I have I'll probably just do a mini one.

 

[WalnutTree]

Agree, run size is good and I think you can make this work with some of the suggestions others have posted. Good luck with everything, would love to see a photo when everything is completed.

I will definitely reply a picture to you when it is finished! It'll probably be done by this weekend.

 

[WalnutTree]

That looks like the OVEREZ medium coop, which is listed online for $1500. Probably higher at retail due to shipping and lumber prices, but still...

@WalnutTree , just wanted to express my sympathy. It's crushing to have something you've planned, dreamed and invested yourself in end up as a disappointment. However, your parents probably feel they're doing you a favor, so you will likely get farther with diplomacy, creativity and compromise than anything else. Best of luck!

Yes well thank you for that I will be working on convincing them to add additions probably next year. And yes it is the medium coop. The large was just too much despite us spending so much lol.

 

[NatJ]

The entire run is 10 X 11

11 chicks....My dad and his girlfriend say that this coop run is not too small because they "did their research" (maybe a 20 minute google search)

The common recommendation on this forum is 10 square feet per chicken in the run-- and it looks like the run provides exactly that. So it looks like their research did turn up an appropriate number

Of course more space is always nicer, but that amount really should be fine.

 

[Lizzy733]

Thanks for the response! I know its completely crazy. If I had the time to do it myself, It probably would only cost me about 400 bucks. But yes they are paying that hefty sum. Luckily we can afford it as we have just sold our old house for 800,000.
And thanks to you all, I was able to show them they need more space and the coop is now outside the run! Hurrah! Also, the swing is just for fun with the amount of space I have I'll probably just do a mini one.

We have a raised coop too, though it's very diy. It is one corner of the run and the girls use it for shelter all the time. It is their go-to in rainy weather, preferring under over going inside during the day.

We went big with the build - 8x4 ft interior for 6 hens which is our urban cap... Likely mob Ng to the country soon, so going to have to build bigger for chicken math XD

 

[WalnutTree]

$4,000 for that???? Your parent got seriously ripped off. To say nothing of the problems with completely inadequate ventilation.

The "thumb rules" for chickens.

4sq ft house space/bird
10 sq ft run space/bird
1 sq ft 24/7/365 free ventilation/bird
1 linear ft roost pole/bird
1/4 nesting box/hen (minimum 2, round up)
[this is "flexible", I've seen 1/5 given as this rule as well]
1/10 Rooster/Hen ratio for optimal fertility
[this is another flexible thumb rule, young roosters can effectively cover more young hens and still maintain good (85%+), if not great, fertility]

Expect leaks at the joint where the nesting box roof meets the wall. If its typical design, expect birds sleeping in the nests, because the roosting bars aren't high enough. You have to leave the window open all the time, which still doesn't provide enough ventilation for that many birds, but puts drafts - which you desperately don't want - on them as they roost. The space underneath will be a constant source of frustration for you. If you are lucky, they will only dust bathe there. If you aren't, they may lay eggs there, and its a popular place for uninvited guests to hang out until you predator proof your run (rats, snakes, etc)

Should I continue???
and lest the parental units think I'm saying this simply because you requested it, or in the belief I am young myself...

See my Sig, below, for my current flock. I'm in the later half of my first century, and I can link posts making similar observations about similar coop designs, going back some considerable period of time.

There are *worse* coops, don't get me wrong - but for the expense, the builder really should have done their research, then built something more appropriate to your region.

Your whole run, if I'm judging the locations of the 4x4s correctly, is roughly the size of the goat house I built one weekend. Alone. With only a generator for power on site, and a bunch of materials I had to carry to the job. No, its not as pretty, but its just as functional, and was 1/4 the price while lumber costs were thru the roof. Could easily add doors and windows with the money saved.

Thanks for the response! As someone who's been researching for 3 years, I know the coop is not the best. I am aware of the ventilation problems and plan to add side ventilation so I dont have to leave the window open. After reading everyones responses I realized I'll have to convince them slowly. By next year I'll probably be able to convince them to extend the run by then.

 

[BleuSaphir]

OP I wouldn’t put the effort to build a swing regardless.

You give them exactly what they needed.

 

[3KillerBs]

Also, the swing is just for fun ? with the amount of space I have I'll probably just do a mini one.

Don't bother with a swing. Chickens don't use them the way parrots do.

But do add some run clutter -- things for them to get up on top of and underneath of.

A pallet on blocks serves both purposes:

They also like a pallet leaned up against the wire.

I also used some branches and blocks to make perches in the run.