How many chickens in your run? or Square Feet/Bird = Desert?

[DawnSuiter]

I'm even more sure now that you write out the numbers.. cuz I routinely keep extra roosters in 350-400sf runs with no problem OTHER than the fact that they do wear a path in the grasses along common fence line... where they pace A LOT because they want out with the free ranging birds.

hopefully others have input


the thing I think about is... wherever home base is... will have a hard time surviving no matter how much range they have because my chickens won't wander very far... so even if they had 5 acres.. they would still only use this 1/2 - 3/4 an acre...

so to go with a big number you'd have to "station" groups at intervals throughout the acreage... to force spread them out... unless this is totally off topic and now I'm rambling....

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
My run is not nearly as large as yours...lol. My five girls have about 575 sq. feet between them. I do let them out to "free range" when I'm home. Our property is fenced, so that helps with containment. I'm waiting to find out whether I'll have grass this spring or not (in the run). I'm hoping that by free ranging some, it'll happen. I've also thought about sectioning off portions of the run to better allow grass to come back up...

 

[DawnSuiter]

Ok... back on topic... I wish I had pictures... but someone who had a VERY LARGE pasture but still it wasn't big enough to keep the moonscaping from happening decided to grow forage right in the run... by constructing I think 4 LARGE square wooden frames (maybe 4X4). They were a foot and a half tall I think because the sides used plastic roofing panels in clear to cover them and the top of the square was chicken wire very tight. I think there were cross bracing inside on the top too to help support the wire and keep the frame square.

ANYWAY... in these units.. they were growing & rotating fresh pasture.... everything could grow in them to a foot tall... or taller and the chickens could only pick the tops... then they could be moved and another started, etc...

maybe this is a solution for you