Stupid run height question

[sherrydeanne]

So I was going to make my run 8x16x4' tall. And gateless. Stupid, yes? So, I'll make a gate. The question is though, am I going to hate myself for not making it 6' tall so I can easily walk through it? How much time do you spend in the run?

For clarification, my coop will be 8x8 and plenty tall for me to walk in, and I'll have 8 chickens.

 

[scooter147]

I spend a minimum of 5 minutes in the morning in my run changing water pans.
I would say I spend a minimum of 10 minutes in the run in the evening feeding them their sunflower seeds and a little scratch grain. I enjoy standing their and watching them eat and it is nice to be able to stand up straight.
It is also nice when the run needs to me raked. I have several mature trees around the run and it is a stick magnent.
It is also nice when I have to "run" the girls in if I am leaving for the evening and it will be dark before I get back that way I don't have to worry about a critter getting in before I get home.
So, my advice would be when time and money is available to extend the height of the run.

 

[LynneP]

Our roofed run is 8' tall. It's not that we needed that clearance but we have the option now of extending the coop in future. We added snow boards this winter to baffle the wind, and I'm out there every day at least twice. It's easy to clean, too. Whatever you decide , keep the future in mind because renos are harder than primary construction!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Yes, you'll hate yourself for it, especially if you have ANY tendency towards occasional back problems... OTOH if you spend the extra money to build it 6' tall you will find you don't go in there that much and will *imagine* you wouldn't have minded bending double in a 4' run and so will hate yourself for THAT, too LOL

The problem isn't really how many trips you make into the run, IMO, it is how long you spend in there sometimes. And any time you are cleaning or raking-out or rebedding the run, you will be spending at least 10-15 minutes in there at a time, which I dunno about you but for me that is considerably longer than I can comfortably stand/work bent over.

But if you have a good strong back and expect it to stay that way, and want to save money, you could survive with a 4' run. (You sure do need that gate, though, seriously!

)

Have fun whichever you decide,

Pat

 

[skand]

Anytime you will go into the run, you want it at least taller then your head. Cause everytime you go in, you'll crack your head everytime. It gets real old real fast. So do it right the first time, save your head the trauma. lol

 

[sherrydeanne]

I'm really glad I thought to ask *before* I built it LOL
Thanks!!

 

[Dr.Doorlock]

I used 8' posts, buried 2' so my run would be 6' tall. I never imagined making it shorter.

 

[mrsengeseth]

definitely, make it tall enough so you don't crack your head. I can't tell ya how dumb it was to make out banty pen so short. I have lumps on lumps on my head from the doorway. Taller is better.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

And let me just point out that you also want the door to be taller than you. My first door is about 4 inches shorter than me. I smack into it all the time. Sigh...

 

[horsejody]

We just put up a 6 foot tall run. I plan on putting a top on it next. It works for me, but DH is 6'4" so he is going to have some issues with it.