Size of Chicken Run

[Texas Willie]

Hi,

I am "trying to plan"

a run for the girls when they get old enough to put in the Hen House. I am pretty limited on space (and money), but I have a roughed out plan that will give my 12 hens about 50 square feet of run.

I plan on using welded wire and green fence post and also putting the mesh over the whole top of the run to protect them from the occasional hawk that fly over.

While I am thinking about it, my wife read something online about putting a floor in the hen house to keep rats from burrowing up into the hen house........Fact is, we have lived here from nearly 32 years and I have never seen a rat anywhere. However, I have seen a few possums (and there may be a raccoon or two around, though I have never seen 'em).

I have become very attached to the girls in the short time I have had them (something that even surprises me!) and I want to protect them as much as necessary.

Any Advice would be extremely helpful and I would be eternally grateful!

TIA

TW

 

[airmechreed]

You should protect against any and all predators in your area. Fox, raccoon , skunk, rats, weasel. All these are devastating to your flock, and of course hawks. If you have a dirt floor then you need to protect from any predator that digs. This means buring welded wire of some sort and having a top of welded wire or hardware cloth. Also the sides need to have something that is to small for a raccoon to stick hands through.... Always best to have protection and not need it then to not have it and need it. Especially if you are already attached to the birds. You don't want to lose any. Good luck

 

[m_shuman]

The rule of thumb is 10 sqare feet in the run per bird so you would need at least 120 Square foot for them to be comfortable in the run. You do want to use Hardware cloth on at least the bottom 2 ft of your run to protect from animals reaching in the welded wire and taking the chickens heads off.

 

[Texas Willie]

Thanks for the replies..........I very much appreciate the info!

TW