How big of a run for 10-12 chickens?

[bdjh]

This is my thoughts exactly... think I'll have to find a sledge hammer while he's at work. Or go puchase a reciprocating saw

Looking at the lower of the two pics above, it'll be easy to just pull off the long wall and extend the shorter side walls another 2 - 4 feet, put the long wall back, and done. An hour start to finish.

 

[TxChick77]

So I shouldn't include the run sq ft that would be "under" the coop?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might want to follow the link in my signature for some thoughts on space. I don’t believe in magic numbers because each of us are unique. You may be able to make that work. But I firmly believe the majority of behavior problems mentioned on this forum are because the chickens are packed too tightly. Also, with the chickens packed that tightly you are going to be busy with poop management. That’s a lot of chickens pooping in a small space.

I really wish you luck. You may need it.

 

[TxChick77]

Looking at the lower of the two pics above, it'll be easy to just pull off the long wall and extend the shorter side walls another 2 - 4 feet, put the long wall back, and done. An hour start to finish.

I kid you not, there are easily 100 nails that join the side walls to the front and back.... my loving husband. Power tools. Trigger happy. Nuf said. Lol

 

[Summerford]

I would recommend building you entire area for your chickens bigger than you think you would need. I have built two smaller coops. Now I'm building a coop into a barn stall. it's 11'x11'. the run area is 15'x20' with more that I can fence in if I desire. I'd saved a lot of money if I'd just went big. I only have 17 hens right now but it being this big I could accommodate at least 30 if I wanted.

 

[bdjh]

I kid you not, there are easily 100 nails that join the side walls to the front and back.... my loving husband. Power tools. Trigger happy. Nuf said. Lol

I'm the same way - with every project I take on, I always hear myself saying at least once .... "This xxxxxx is going to be here long after I'm dead".

I've got one word for your husband: "Air Tools". One more word: "Framing Nailer". ooooo...I'm getting goosebumps....

 

[bdjh]

You might want to follow the link in my signature for some thoughts on space. I don’t believe in magic numbers because each of us are unique. You may be able to make that work. But I firmly believe the majority of behavior problems mentioned on this forum are because the chickens are packed too tightly. Also, with the chickens packed that tightly you are going to be busy with poop management. That’s a lot of chickens pooping in a small space.

I really wish you luck. You may need it.

Not cool, Ridgerunner......This young lady is a newbie to chickens, and is actively looking for advice......"I really wish you luck. You may need it." isn't the least bit helpful and frankly makes you look like a ......... (insert appropriate term here).

 

[TxChick77]

I'm the same way - with every project I take on, I always hear myself saying at least once .... "This xxxxxx is going to be here long after I'm dead".

I've got one word for your husband: "Air Tools". One more word: "Framing Nailer".  ooooo...I'm getting goosebumps....

He went and purchased the biggest and baddest one Harbor Freight carried. And 2 50lbs boxes of nails for this project.
I've learned to never deny the man certain things. Tools at the top of that list

 

[Sonya9]

Yes, they will be able to FR in the evenings or part of the day so I can watch them. We dont have a fence separating one of neighbors. They dont mind if they wander over but I'm thinking that might change the first time they get into their vegetable garden.

Then if possible do a larger wire run. In a small run they will eat every shred of greenery, and you will feel bad they aren't out foraging very often. Not only do the chickens get along better with lots of space but foraging on bugs/grass makes for better eggs.

If you haven't bought roofing material yet and you DO wall in the rest of that run I would think about doing a tin roof with a large overhang that protects the food/water dishes and the birds during rainy or very hot weather.

Predators will also likely be a problem if the yards are not fenced, loose birds provide a HUGE temptation for neighborhood dogs. Having a big enough run for them to entertain themselves without constant babysitting will make your life much much easier. Better to do it now rather than after your flock gets massacred by something.

 

[Finnie]

Seems to me it would be very easy to wall in the rest of that coop/run to accomodate twice as many birds and just add a large wire run for foraging.

This sounds like a great idea. Just think of the awesome walk-in coop you would have, and then you could make the outer run part as large as you have space for.

I'm pretty sure the companies that sell prefab coops just write on there a too large number of chickens so that people who are new, and don't have experience, will think "Yay, this is great, I can have lots of chickens!" And then after they try to live with it a while, they realize how wrong the company is. Sellers of plans might say the same thing. It's all to get people to buy their product. If they said, this coop will only hold three chickens, not many people would want it.