What size run for chickens?

[From the North]

Well, right now I have the electric fence set up for the horses, and I actually have to disconnect the bottom two lines because they are buried under the snow! We have about 4 feet of snow covering the ground so the horses aren't really compelled to go anywhere other than where they have already walked and made a path in the snow.

 

[aart]

Well, right now I have the electric fence set up for the horses, and I actually have to disconnect the bottom two lines because they are buried under the snow! We have about 4 feet of snow covering the ground so the horses aren't really compelled to go anywhere other than where they have already walked and made a path in the snow.

Really? What kind of fence is it? Any chance you could take a closeup pic of where the fence strands can be disconnected?

 

[ladyrsanti]

Yeah, I'm wondering if the electric poultry net works the same way. I'm still considering it. I suppose though, given that my chickens don't go out in the snow, it could be turned off completely during much of the winter.

 

[From the North]

I don't know how poultry netting works; I would imagine it's not as easy to disconnect part of it. My set up for my electric tape has a switch installed near the charger where I can actually switch off the lines that are buried in snow.

 

[JackE]

It is very easy to disconnect a section of poultry net. I do it with mine every day of the year. Flip a switch, (Power switch, you DO NOT want to do this with fence energized), disconnect the connector that hooks fence sections together(Simple twist connector), pull fence post out of the ground and move the section out of the way. One person can take down and move the fence if they wanted. In the picture I posted earlier in this thread, that corner is my "Gate" right next to the fence charger.
Jack

 

[From the North]

It is very easy to disconnect a section of poultry net. I do it with mine every day of the year. Flip a switch, (Power switch, you DO NOT want to do this with fence energized), disconnect the connector that hooks fence sections together(Simple twist connector), pull fence post out of the ground and move the section out of the way. One person can take down and move the fence if they wanted. In the picture I posted earlier in this thread, that corner is my "Gate" right next to the fence charger.
Jack

What I was referring to, was disconnecting the lower part of the fence (because it's covered in snow) but leaving the top part of the fence active. Can you do that with netting?

 

[JackE]

No, unless you physically cut the hot feed to the bottom strands. Yeah, deep snow would not be a friend to poultry netting. I haven't had any serious amount of snow this year. Just a couple inches, just a couple of times. I was able to clear the bottom of the fence with a broom. If I got any real amount of snow, I would just shut the fence off. The chickens are not going to want to go out in it anyways(At least that's the way my birds are).
Jack

 

[jennifermedford]

Storey's guide will tell you 5sqft/chicken, but recently published books about small backyard flocks will say closer to 10. Really, try keeping 10 hens in a run that's 5ftx10ft and see the kind of poo that builds up, the way they pick on each other... if you can find a way to do it, make it bigger. If not, place deep litter, hanging treats, find ways to keep them entertained. It's not a set rule that you must provide X number of sqft.

Most who have electronet either have heavy breeds that don't fly very high, or they clip wings.