Run size

[Mikee1948]

I've seen pictures of nice coops with a decent sized flock, and what looks like a 5x10 or 4x8 ft. run attached. Just how big is enough for six hens? The bigger the run, the harder to control odor and maintain is what I'm seeing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Odor is a huge issue. One huge component of odor control is to keep the run dry. A dry run is much less likely to smell. A wet run will almost certainly smell. So your first item to consider is how to keep it dry.

The two things to consider are how to keep water out and how to get water out that gets in. Position it so rainwater runoff does not run into the run. Use berms or swales to divert runoff. Slope the coop roof so water does not run into the run. Consider covering the run, and remember that rain can blow in from the side. You might need to cover the side that has the predominant wind to help keep it dry.

To dry a run, it needs to be higher than the surrounding ground, at least higher than the ground on one side so the water has somewhere to go. You can maybe haul in dirt to build the ground level up. It really helps too if the dirt in the run is porous, like sand, so the water will drain off. The chickens will dig holes in any soil you put in there so they can dust bathe. You need those to drain. Raising the ground level in the run with sand works really well.

Another issue in odor control is size, specificly how many chickens you have per area. I can't give you a magic number. That depends on the soils, your climate, how well it drains, and many other things. If the run is large enough so the poop gets spread out enough, you really don't have to clean much if at all. So actually the bigger it is, the less likely it is to smell. If you can't make it big enough that the poop gets spread out enough to stop the smell, it may be easier to rake out a smaller run.

The other part of run size is chicken behavior. If chickens are crowded, they are more likely to have social issues. Again there is no magic number for how much room a chicken needs. It depends on a whole lot of different things. In general, I find I have to work less hard ands I have fewer behavioral problems if I can provide more space.

Good luck!

 

[CGinJCMO]

Most of the small runs you see, I assume the chickens are allowed to free range most of the day or it's a chicken tractor that gets moved everyday.

Personally, I would want a much larger run than 4x8 for 6 full sized chickens. 4x8=32 square feet 32/6=5.3 feet per bird.

I want 20x30 for 10-13 full size (3 roos, not keeping them all) but I'm not going to be able to afford it all at once. I'll have to build it a little at a time, perhaps 20 feet wide but in sections eventually building up to 30 feet.

CG

 

[Jakoda]

I have 9 chickens standard sized, my run is 12 x 20 with the coop area 4 x 12..it doesn't smell, I rake every day tho my grass has disapeared, slowly adding sand . I have to many predators here to allow my chickens to free range. Have a couple of roosts for them in the run, a sand box, and try to keep them entertained and vice versa.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone bigger even with the 9 chickens, they are happy, but bigger is always better even with only a few chickens..

Diane

 

[CGinJCMO]

I came back to tell you that I realized I meant 20 yards by 30 yards. I paced it off and I have to remember to change all square foot calculations to yardage.

CG

 

[Edwards24]

Well Im new to this and I have a question about the sand. What is the purpose of it i know they like to do the dust bath. My coop is elevated off the ground about 2 ft and i could put sand underneath the center of it for them.

 

[ZaksGarden]

I use river sand in my run, and it keeps the run area dry all the time. I love it! I bought a sifter and sift the sand for 5 minutes on a daily basis, this removes virtually all of the poop. (Which removes what creates the odor) I also sprinkle DE (Diatomaceous Earth) in the coop and run about once every week and there are no odors coming from my coop and run. The sand also has tiny pebbles in it, which provides a natural way for your chickens to get grit which they need to digest food. I think with any livestock there is going to be some smell. But using sand in your run is a great way to minimize it.