Upgrading....how big should the run be?

[Scotty16]

We are upgrading from 6 chickens to 20. We have a small coop and run now.

The new coop is 8'x12' and should be enough for 20 hens. But what about the run? Any suggestions on length width and height?

Thanks!
Scotty

 

[AZBootsie]

Most folks here say 10 sf per chicken in the run, bigger if you have the space. Tall enough for you to be able to walk in is really nice. Makes raking out much easier. Good luck on your remodel.

 

[gale65]

We have 20 sq ft per chicken in our run (minus the 4 x 6 area the coop takes up) and it seems small to me. They can run and fly and all but I guess having this small run in such a big yard makes it look small. We can't free range (not only our dog but we've seen strays around) so this is it for us. When we get our new coop done the small one will be taken out and they'll have a bigger running area.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yeah - the 10 sq. ft suggestion is a minimum recommendation. If your birds will be mostly or totally confined, then as much space as you can give them is the recommendation, as Gale65 suggested. There is no such thing as a "too big" run, only one that is too small.

 

[ECBW]

The math for my run comes out to 5.5 sf per bird due to "chicken math". They are fine, healthy and productive. There are branches that really add dimensions to the run.