How big should my run be?

[Jmac0525]

I have 12 chickens. Having a coop built it will be a 4x6 coop. How big should my run be??

 

[heartsizedfarm]

As big as you can afford! Because you are unlikely to stop at just 12!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have 12 chickens. Having a coop built it will be a 4x6 coop. How big should my run be??

What kind of chickens are you keeping - bantams would have a different "minimum" space requirement than large breeds, for example. At 4x6, your coop is 24 square feet - it is generally accepted for standard chickens (not bantam) that you need a minimum of 4 square feet of coop space, so you are already a bit off on the space to chicken ratio. How much time do you anticipate the birds spending inside the coop on average? If they are going to be spending many hours confined inside the coop, for example, the minimum space is even more important as an overcrowded coop can lead to all sorts of issues. Will they have 24/7 run access or be locked in for some portion of each day/night? If it isn't too late, you might want to up the plans on your coop.
As for the run, the most common "rule of thumb" is to give 10 square feet of run space per bird - sot hat would be 120 square feet at minimum (ie 10x12, 20x6, etc). Again, these are minimum space - so more is better, less is not good.

 

[Irishhenman]

Minimum of 120 sq feet (10x12, 8x15, 20x6 etc). Make it as big as you possibly can, my run for around 10 hens is 1875 sq feet and I would still like it to be bigger.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

As big as you can afford! Because you are unlikely to stop at just 12!

Yet another excellent reason to build bigger than you "need", lol.

 

[Jmac0525]

Thank y'all for the ideas! I am getting a Quaker style coop built it's 4x6 and 5ft tall. Every site I look at says they will hold 12-15 chickens. I don't have bantams. I will get a run big enough run built for them. They will run in and out all day/night as long as I don't have predator problems since I live way out in the country.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

If they have access to the run at night make sure the run has a floor and ceiling that a predator can't climb into or dig under. Most chickens tend not to use the run at night. Too exposed. They like the safe confined feeling of their coop and you might like that secure feeling of locking them in at night.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If they have access to the run at night make sure the run has a floor and ceiling that a predator can't climb into or dig under. Most chickens tend not to use the run at night. Too exposed. They like the safe confined feeling of their coop and you might like that secure feeling of locking them in at night.

I don't disagree - however, in an overcrowded coop (as this would be) having the *option* of escape into the run can be a good thing if/when something happens during the hours that the chickens would normally be confined with the coop locked up.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Tr

I don't disagree - however, in an overcrowded coop (as this would be) having the *option* of escape into the run can be a good thing if/when something happens during the hours that the chickens would normally be confined with the coop locked up.

True.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Thank y'all for the ideas! I am getting a Quaker style coop built it's 4x6 and 5ft tall. Every site I look at says they will hold 12-15 chickens. I don't have bantams. I will get a run big enough run built for them. They will run in and out all day/night as long as I don't have predator problems since I live way out in the country.

Living in the country does not mean there are not predators, many of the predators that are a threat to chickens are actually more likely to be present. As to the issue of size and capacity, what it can "hold" and what is healthy and reasonable for the birds are not necessarily the same thing. 12-15 chickens in 24 square feet is half, or less (depending on whether you have 12 or 15), the standard recommended space per bird.