Square footage in the run?

[coop-er]

Hello all...we are building our run onto our new coop. How much square footage should we plan for our 16 birds? We have 13 "regular" size chickens and 3 bantams. Thanks for the help.

 

[iwiw60]

Well, first off, you're going to get a slew of responses, all with varying calculations. For myself? I have 4 Black Australorp soon-to-be laying hens (they're 10 weeks old now), and my run, which is being built now, is going to be 8' x 16' long. What size is your coop now? How much room can you use up for your run?

 

[coop-er]

Well, first off, you're going to get a slew of responses, all with varying calculations. For myself? I have 4 Black Australorp soon-to-be laying hens (they're 10 weeks old now), and my run, which is being built now, is going to be 8' x 16' long. What size is your coop now? How much room can you use up for your run?

 

[coop-er]

The coop is 8x12 and I have tons of space, but I don't want to have a fortune in materials. I plan on using welded wire (or farm fence) for the run.

 

[iwiw60]

Welded wire? What part of the country do you live in? Predators can chomp their way right through typical 2" x 4" welded wire fencing. While it's true that 1/2" hardware cloth is a bigger expense on the outset, you'll appreciate the fact that predators can't get through...at all. As for size...I'd think you should build it around 10-12 feet by at least 20 feet. If they're crowded in their run you'll have problems with squabbles and potential fighting I would think.

 

[dheltzel]

I hate to think of the predator that could "chomp their way through" the 2x4 welded wire I use. Let's just say, I'd have to keep a rifle with me to feel safe outside.

I use a lot of this (from TSC) and the only predator I can imagine breaking through it is a bear or human with wire cutters. I think you might be confusing this with "poultry netting" the hexagonal stuff, and I agree that is not very good against any mammal predators. The only downside to the 2x4 stuff is that a coon can reach through it, so I put 1/2" HW cloth up the first 2 feet.

 

[Irishhenman]

For 16 birds, 160 square feet would be the minimum so 12x14 would be good as it would fit nicely on the side of your coop. The bigger the better though. My biggest run is 1875 square feet (75x25) and it usually only has 9-11 hens in it.