Multiple runs on one coop- rotating between...

[daniellea2912]

I have 10 chicks that I am beginning to construct a coop and run for. I was thinking of making them a multi-run system where they would have one portion of the run they always have access to in (the part closest to the coop) and then have 2 or 3 other sections that I am able to shut them off from so I can rotate them between so each section can have a rest period in which to regrow vegetation. However, being a newbie to chickens I have no idea how large I need to make each of the rotational run sections.... In a perfect world I would like the chickens to have access to one of the pasture runs the whole day they are out of the coop but I also dont have the $ to make this thing mega-huge... I was hoping maybe someone else has a run set up like this and could give me some insight as to what sizes works for them?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

What I find a comfortable size is about 30 x 70' for 10 large fowl chickens. That way the grass regrows. With double the occupancy the grass starts disappearing and mud pits form. You may find that you need to reseed the grass and water it during certain seasons, even so. If they demolish all the grass in both pens you can allow one pen to go to mud and get the other pen back in shape. In other words, keep one pen great and grassy, and the other one just dirt- if you can't make it really huge.

I use the welded wire fencing, 5 feet high. I like it a lot! I have one of the pens 10 feet high fencing for gardening with deer. Make sure you give them some overhead netting in a small area while they grow out or the hawks will get them for sure! (Hawks will also take grown chickens if they are determined- it also helps to give them hiding places like pallets elevated on concrete blocks).



This is a 30 x 70 pen.



Here is a hawk shelter in the other pen. My other pen is large and so my chicken population is greater than 10 in the other pen, since everyone is able to go back and forth right now. The grass totally disappeared from the first pen pictured once!!! It was a moonscape.

 

[daniellea2912]

Thanks so much for your input!