How tall did you make your run?

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Is there any specific reason? I have to go into the coop daily anyways to ensure they have food and water and to check on my rabbit.

I go into my coop every day too - generally several times a day (scraping dropping boards in the morning, gathering eggs later, puttering, etc.). I'm in my run more often than that (moving or filling feeders and waterers, sitting with the girls, raking up droppings, leaves, and grass). When I rake up, I park my wheel barrow right outside the run door (if I'm just doing leaves/grass/poo). When I brought in sand for their sand box, I just wheeled it in. When I shovel snow, I just carry out shovels of snow through the run door. I'd hate to think of trying to do all of that by tracking through the housing. Especially in winter, because it'd make a mess and let a lot of cold air into the housing (benefit of only a pop door left open to the elements). Plus, if I ever saw/heard an emergency situation happening in the run, I don't want to have to dash around the run to go through the coop door to address it.

 

[stone_family3]

Okay I get what you mean. Thanks for the insight

 

[lauriej57]

I have one flighty girl that likes to sneak out when I open up my door to the coop, if my dogs are out, it's imperative that I get her back in. I do this by feeding them in the coop, so they all come in from the run, I close them up, then I open up my door to the run, and herd her back in.

I also go into the run, during the winter to close their pop door in the evening, once they've all gone in, rather than opening the big door to the coop and letting lots of cold air in. If you find an injured or sick chicken in the run, it's a lot easier and faster to just open a big door and get into the run.

I also keep roosts in my run, which they love. In my smaller coop/run their is only one low roost, because I had something take one of my 8 week old chicks off the roost, through the welded wire on the top. I've had this set up for a few years, and never realized, until it happened, that their heads were only about 6 inches from the wire roof. Being the run is only 5' tall, it doesn't leave alot of head space for a high roost.

I feed my chickens in their coops, but in the summer I keep extra buckets of water in the runs that I change out daily. I also shovel snow out of the run in the winter, which keeps them using it more.

If you have a run that is comfortable and easily accessible for you, you will be amazed how much time you spend in it.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

My run is 7 ft. in the front and slopes to 5 ft. in the back. I'm tall, but I don't need to stand up in the entire run...just need to be able to reach the rack back there.

I have a human door from the coop into the run, also a service door from the run to the outside for the reasons mentioned above. I believe in making it user friendly
so that you'll enjoy chickening. The chickens don't really care as long as you bring them goodies when you come!!