How much space do 13 chickens need

[DobieLover]

Do I have to dig the wire skirt into the ground or can I just sit it perpendicular to the runs with soil on top?

Digging is not required.

You can secure it to the bottom of your framing then pin the outside edge down with heavy duty landscape staples and cover it lightly with soil so grass can grow through it.

If I had mine to do over again I would use vinyl coated 1/2" hardware cloth as the contact with the soil over the years is permitting it to corrode and break. I will be covering over the old apron with a new layer of vinyl coated hardware cloth or 2x4 fencing to reinforce it this summer.

 

[Demarvell]

Hi, recently I have noticed a lot of foxes around my house. All my birds are locked up at the moment due to government restrictions. But I'm free all this week so my dad and i are going to build a covered aviary style run. How much space would my 13 chickens need? I know that the more space the better but I want a pen that I know they will be more safe in. And I can do supervised free range time when I'm at home.

I have an 8 ft x 24 ft run for 23 chickens. Seems to be just fine. 16 x 16 is good, since you are doing a little free ranging.

 

[RcoM]

Hi, recently I have noticed a lot of foxes around my house. All my birds are locked up at the moment due to government restrictions. But I'm free all this week so my dad and i are going to build a covered aviary style run. How much space would my 13 chickens need? I know that the more space the better but I want a pen that I know they will be more safe in. And I can do supervised free range time when I'm at home.

I will give an unconventional answer..
imagine a run for a single chook based on size of chook. Maybe 70cm wide and 4m -5m long. Now you can multiply x at least 10 and place those imagine runs side by side. X 10 assumes some crossover space.
These do not have to be high. 70-90cm will do-saves cost of materials

 

[Borders3]

I built our permanent run after being sick to death of AI every winter. Until then they were totally free range. I bought 3 4x3 hoop greenhouse frames covered them in 2x2 wire then hardware cloth 18 inches high and 18 inches as apron joined the three frames together so they have 12 metres by 3 metres to run in, covered the first two sections with clear tarps to start with, so they didn't have a muddy area next to the coop, when AI came back just added another tarp for the final section. I surrounded the pop door with the wire and have them come and go whenever they want. The batteries ran out on it so I didn't bother replacing them. At the moment I have 15 birds.

 

[Trellinius]

Hi, recently I have noticed a lot of foxes around my house. All my birds are locked up at the moment due to government restrictions. But I'm free all this week so my dad and i are going to build a covered aviary style run. How much space would my 13 chickens need? I know that the more space the better but I want a pen that I know they will be more safe in. And I can do supervised free range time when I'm at home.

Sorry to say, but "supervised free range time" will not do you or your birds any good - unless you have a rifle in hand. I have seen a fox run up from behind me to a hen about 20 feet in front of me, grab her on the run, and keep going. Simply watching them is no deterrent.