Sq Ft of "Run" per Chicken, to be near-free-ranging

[UtePassChickens]

i have a 17' x 33 ft 6' chain link fence run the coop currently is 5'.5" x 5'.5" x 7' tall with the bottom 2' and 1' out just under ground level layered in 1" galvenized poultry wire. the run is covered in poultry netting i have wired around the trees so it goes about 15' high in peaks. We made a tee pee shaped "play gym" for the chickens it has 3 levels for them to perch on and watch the area. I have also place 2 logs stumps my wife and I use for chairs when out visiting the chickens. I also have place a couple rotting logs in the run to give bugs places to breed and chickens places to feed. Works well so far with the 5 chickens in there since april and we still have patches of grass growing the run. and with all the bear, mt lion, bobcat, lynx, owl, eagles, coyotes and god knows what-else the ladies are doing well. during the summer wwe are leaving the coop door open so they come and go as they please. We have two 5-gallon buckets(1 in coop 1 outside) with each having 2 water dripper things. I have one 5-gallon mess-free-bucket feeder that holds about 25lbs of food, kept inside the coop. the water i refill once a month and the food has been lasting about a month and half. we are using a pine needle and pine shaving mixture i make for inside of the coop and it seems to compost the waste well without any odor (if it does start to stink i will mix a bit of dolemite lime to the next layer of needles which will mute th smell)! we just add a fresh layer of needles and shavings once every 4-5 weeks. we have a water-proofed ceramic tile floor to prevent rotting of the floor. during the winter the composting should help keep the coop a bit warmer and come next spring we will do a full clean out and add to our compost pile!

 

[lazy gardener]

Sounds like a good set up. Have you looked at the option of fermented feed for your little flock? As they wear down the grass in the run, you might consider doing a deep litter there also.

 

[UtePassChickens]

i'll have to check out fermented feed sounds interesting! Our run is in the mountain valley mixed forrest of ponderosa pine and huge willows, they have to dig through about 4-5 inches of a natural forest mulch to get to the nice rich black gravely soil below. we throw an organic scratch around the run every few days or so fun and to my surprise we have a few wheat and barley seeds that grew. the large t-pee roost works great the taller grasses that grow below our widdled away from the top - great entertainment for us and them! My daughter gets to give them some organic plain yogurt every few days or so as well. they LOVE it just stand back because they are sloppy lol

 

[redfurmom]

I know this is an old thread but maybe someone will see this.

I currently have 4 Orps (about 3 yrs old) and planning on adding at least 20 more chicks to a separate area in a couple of months after we move to our new house (may or may not be more Orps).

We can't let them free range which means they will be restricted to a coop/run setup. We want to build as big as we can so I'm wondering if 8 sq ft per bird in the coop and 50 sq ft per bird in the run will be ok?

We realize they'll turn it into a dirt run quickly so our thought is to add sand to the run once this happens and just jeep it rototilled every so often. Good idea?

 

[lazy gardener]

I know this is an old thread but maybe someone will see this.

I currently have 4 Orps (about 3 yrs old) and planning on adding at least 20 more chicks to a separate area in a couple of months after we move to our new house (may or may not be more Orps).

We can't let them free range which means they will be restricted to a coop/run setup. We want to build as big as we can so I'm wondering if 8 sq ft per bird in the coop and 50 sq ft per bird in the run will be ok?

We realize they'll turn it into a dirt run quickly so our thought is to add sand to the run once this happens and just jeep it rototilled every so often. Good idea?

That will be a lovely coop/run set up with room to add more birds in the future if you want to. You are right, in that they will strip the vegetation from their run. When that happens, it is better IMO to turn that run into a deep litter or composting run. Soil that is covered is much healthier than naked soil. Consider what a forest floor looks like. How often do you see bare soil in a forest? God designed soil to be always covered, either by composting plant matter or by thriving plant life. A composting litter will attract lots of beneficial organisms. Those will destroy the pathogens in the soil. Those organisms will feed the beneficial insects. The bacteria and fungi will give your birds healthy gut flora, which in turn will improve their immune systems, and enable them to make better use of the food they ingest. The insects will also feed them.

Since you have so much space available for your run, and your flock is small, I'd suggest that you divide your run in half. Turn both halves into deep composting runs. Give the birds access to one run this year, while you garden in the other side. After you harvest that side, let the birds finish harvesting and working that side, and plan to garden the first side the following year. While many people use tillers for gardening, and turning the soil, there is a growing number of gardeners (myself included) who choose not to disturb the soil any more than necessary. My tiller sits in the garage, and only comes out to play when I'm opening new hard packed ground, putting in a walk way, or planting trees. All the rest of my gardening is done under deep mulch, Back to Eden style, and with a garden fork.

 

[redfurmom]

That will be a lovely coop/run set up with room to add more birds in the future if you want to.  You are right, in that they will strip the vegetation from their run.  When that happens, it is better IMO to turn that run into a deep litter or composting run.  Soil that is covered is much healthier than naked soil.  Consider what a forest floor looks like.  How often do you see bare soil in a forest?  God designed soil to be always covered, either by composting plant matter or by thriving plant life.  A composting litter will attract lots of beneficial organisms.  Those will destroy the pathogens in the soil.  Those organisms will feed the beneficial insects.  The bacteria and fungi will  give your birds healthy gut flora, which in turn will improve their immune systems, and enable them to make better use of the food they ingest.   The insects will also feed them.  

Since you have so much space available for your run, and your flock is small, I'd suggest that you divide your run in half.  Turn both halves into deep composting runs.  Give the birds access to one run this year, while you garden in the other side.  After you harvest that side, let the birds finish harvesting and working that side, and plan to garden the first side the following year.   While many people use tillers for gardening, and turning the soil, there is a growing number of gardeners (myself included) who choose not to disturb the soil any more than necessary.  My tiller sits in the garage, and only comes out to play when I'm opening new hard packed ground, putting in a walk way, or planting trees.  All the rest of my gardening is done under deep mulch, Back to Eden style, and with a garden fork.  

Thanks! That's a cool idea about dividing it in half. That would cut their run size in half each year but 25 sq ft per bird done this way should still be OK right?

Also, I'm looking at different breeds. Trying to find one that can tolerate heat and cold. We live in Alabama where summers are humid and can average in the 90s and winters average 35. And chickens that are great layers. Any suggestions?

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: 35 is not cold... unless you are talking about 35* below 0!!! But, for your area, you would do well with birds with larger combs. Check out Henderson's chicken breeds chart. One thing to keep in mind is that you want to choose birds that do not have a reputation for being flighty, or aggressive. For a first time flock owner, and for a mixed flock, I'd perhaps recommend that you stay away from the Mediterranean breeds. You might also want to avoid the production hybrids, unless you want to replace your flock every 2 years.

 

[redfurmom]

35 is not cold... unless you are talking about 35* below 0!!!  But, for your area, you would do well with birds with larger combs.  Check out Henderson's chicken breeds chart.  One thing to keep in mind is that you want to choose birds that do not have a reputation for being flighty, or aggressive.  For a first time flock owner, and for a mixed flock, I'd perhaps recommend that you stay away from the Mediterranean breeds.  You might also want to avoid the production hybrids, unless you want to replace your flock every 2 years.

No just 35 degrees. Sometimes it can dip into the teens and 20s but that lasts for only a few weeks out of the year. We're vegetarians so our chicks will be family pets and provide eggs. We're considering Amerecaunas and Australorps. What do you think?

Also, back to your suggestion of halving the run so we can provide them with a garden all year round; is this what you're meaning?:
While they're still babies and up to a couple of months old, we garden one side while they have access to the other which will be grass and bugs and then cut off access to the original side and open up the garden side as soon as the vegetables are available and then start gardening the original side until it's ready and back and forth?

Also, their coop area will be inside a barn with the run attached to the outside of the barn. We will also be housing our dogs and cats in this barn with the same setup; houses inside the barn with attached runs on the outside. The chickens will be safe though. No animals will be able to access them. I'm trying to research ways to heat and cool the barn as economically as possible. This will be my first barn. What is your suggestion for heating and cooling a roughly 2500 sq ft barn that will keep everyone warm and cool? We can't afford a central unit. I read that it can cost several thousand per 1000-2000 sq ft. Do you think a 60K BTU hanging infrared heater will work for warmth? What about cooling?

 

[aart]

Also, back to your suggestion of halving the run so we can provide them with a garden all year round; is this what you're meaning?:
While they're still babies and up to a couple of months old, we garden one side while they have access to the other which will be grass and bugs and then cut off access to the original side and open up the garden side as soon as the vegetables are available and then start gardening the original side until it's ready and back and forth?

Also, their coop area will be inside a barn with the run attached to the outside of the barn. We will also be housing our dogs and cats in this barn with the same setup; ***houses inside the barn with attached runs on the outside. The chickens will be safe though. No animals will be able to access them. I'm trying to research ways to heat and cool the barn as economically as possible. This will be my first barn. What is your suggestion for heating and cooling a roughly 2500 sq ft barn that will keep everyone warm and cool? We can't afford a central unit. I read that it can cost several thousand per 1000-2000 sq ft. Do you think a 60K BTU hanging infrared heater will work for warmth? What about cooling?

No, the garden is for growing people food, turn the birds into the garden in the fall when you're done harvesting.
By spring the 'garden' the birds have been foraging in all summer will be ready to plant, all tilled and fertilized by the chickens.
Veggies in one side, chickens in the other...switch them over in fall, rinse and repeat each fall.

Don't even think about heating the chicken 'barn', totally not necessary in your climate.
Build your barn tall, with passive ventilation and maybe some fan assist.

***Wait... houses or horses?
Dogs and cats?
Do any of those need heat?
Dust from the chickens will be a serious filter load on any HVAC units installed.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote:

Also, back to your suggestion of halving the run so we can provide them with a garden all year round; is this what you're meaning?:
While they're still babies and up to a couple of months old, we garden one side while they have access to the other which will be grass and bugs and then cut off access to the original side and open up the garden side as soon as the vegetables are available and then start gardening the original side until it's ready and back and forth?

Also, their coop area will be inside a barn with the run attached to the outside of the barn. We will also be housing our dogs and cats in this barn with the same setup; ***houses inside the barn with attached runs on the outside. The chickens will be safe though. No animals will be able to access them. I'm trying to research ways to heat and cool the barn as economically as possible. This will be my first barn. What is your suggestion for heating and cooling a roughly 2500 sq ft barn that will keep everyone warm and cool? We can't afford a central unit. I read that it can cost several thousand per 1000-2000 sq ft. Do you think a 60K BTU hanging infrared heater will work for warmth? What about cooling?

No, the garden is for growing people food, turn the birds into the garden in the fall when you're done harvesting.
By spring the 'garden' the birds have been foraging in all summer will be ready to plant, all tilled and fertilized by the chickens.
Veggies in one side, chickens in the other...switch them over in fall, rinse and repeat each fall.

Don't even think about heating the chicken 'barn', totally not necessary in your climate.
Build your barn tall, with passive ventilation and maybe some fan assist.

***Wait... houses or horses?
Dogs and cats?
Do any of those need heat?
Dust from the chickens will be a serious filter load on any HVAC units installed.

Agreed. Simply by providing good ventilation and shade access to the outdoor spaces, that barn will be just fine for the animals. If this barn has yet to be built, I might suggest putting a solid wall between the dog/cat side and the chicken side. That will cut down on the dander/dust infiltration into the furry critter side of the building. Chickens are dust and dander machines.