quarter acre for 16 hens

[rehric00]

Do you guys think a quarter acre is big enough that 16 hens will have a constant supply of grass and not turn it into mud?

I plan on also getting 16 meat birds, but they will only be in the pen for 10 to 15 weeks... I cannot free range due to predators... Thanks!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

They'll have favorite areas and those will be worn to dirt in little time. How are you containing them to 1/4 acre- fenced in? It's plenty of area and they wont destroy all of it. Around and under bushes, trees, flower beds and whatever strikes their fancy in that area will be turned to dirt but the majority area will stay grass.

 

[rehric00]

I plan on using 6ft welded wire fence, wooden corner posts and metal t-posts for support in between the wooden corner posts. I planned on an area of 100ft x 100ft, which is about 1/4 of an acre. There will not be any plants, bushes or trees in the run... just open grass. they will have shade from the surrounding tree line that lines the corner of the property. I may or may not add a chicken wire top cover depending on the hawks in the area. At our old house, they were not an issue though...

The girls I had before LOVED the underneath of the lilac bush we had. Maybe I will plant a bush or two for them to take cover.....