Confused about coop/run combo sizing and need guidance ASAP....

[Susan-B]

Everything Acr4Me suggested is right on! The coop you are planning to purchase seems quite nice, and should be large enough for young chicks. So you'll have time to build an extended run.

A covered extended run is not too difficult nor expensive to do - metal stud-T posts with bird net (nylon ones) on top and deer net around will allow them to go out during the day and you won't need to supervise them.

I guess it also depends on predators in your environment. Our main problems are the ever- present red-tailed hawks.

We have no building skills, but with a pounder, the stud-T posts are easy to put up!!

We have hawks and foxes for sure (neighbors lost chickens and ducks to them). I found fox prints in my yard the other day. I have also spotted 2 coyotes not far from my house. My neighbor has metal wire over her run and a very bold hawk was sitting on it, talons grabbing onto the wire, and flapping his wings trying to lift it. They are rotten

 

[Acre4Me]

-No roosters here, we aren't allowed to have them in my town.

-Flock consists of Easter Egger, black australorp, Welsummer and I'm supposed to pick up my Speckled Sussex and Barnevelder tomorrow.

-so you're saying to add an additional run onto the 6x10 coop/run combo?

-I'll look into seeing how to add clear panels. We do get cold and snow/rain here in the winters.
thanks!

Here is a pen we built for spring/summer/fall meat birds or turkeys. it was as open air as we could make it, yet still be secure. So wind and rain can be an issue. Where you see the red lines, we added a beveled strip of wood that is screwed into the upper or lower beam, but extends and inch or so below (or above) the beam. That is the part that holds the clear panels without having to screw them in. We slide them in. The wood strip is beveled to allow rain to run off. the bottom strip has a teflon or rubber (non-metal, anyway) washer between it and the main beam to allow any water to run out. So the panels can rattle with a lot of wind, after all they are just slid into place (and overlapped on one corrugated ridge), so we put a thin piece of wood between clear panel and the screwed-in strip. So the only thing permanently secured is the strip to the main beam. the clear panels are readily added or removed. the upper triangle stays open - after all we don't keep animals in here during winter months.

If you are able to extend the run at all, then that could be beneficial. Some people will just let out the chickens to free-range while they are out there with them in the evenings and weekends. If you extend the run, I would do it on the side opposite of the door or the side opposite of the coop.


As an example: Red is structure of some kind. Blue is roof (could be a corrugated metal or clear roof). A solid roof gives weather protection. Of Course, you could use electric poultry wire, or moveable fence with durable mesh top/cover or some other removable items for the extra space too. Due to predators, you will want to pick materials that would deter daytime predators as you would lock up the flock inside the coop at night, so you would not need to make any extension as heavy duty as the main structure (unless you have roaming bears - that is a completely different situation).

 

[Sally PB]

I'll look into seeing how to add clear panels. We do get cold and snow/rain here in the winters.

I want to make some clear panels to use next winter. This year, I used clear shower curtains and tied them on with zip ties through the grommet holes. They have held up and blocked wind and snow VERY well.

While I would prefer the panels, if I don't get those made, I won't hesitate to use shower curtains again.

 

[linguini]

This year, I used clear shower curtains and tied them on with zip ties through the grommet holes.

Haha! I wish I had thought of shower curtain. I used clear vinyl table cloths and paint stirrer as big long staple to hold to vinyl to the sides of the run. It has held up rain, snow and wind pretty well so far this season, but I am not sure it'll last till next year. Got some serious renovation to do this summer! I'll need to study @Acre4Me's design and descriptions in more detail.

This is our first year - we learned by encountering situations and trying to remedy with quick fixes since we were always left with no time to find proper material or redo anything. It's great that you are thinking ahead!

 

[West Bend]

Haha! I wish I had thought of shower curtain. I used clear vinyl table cloths and paint stirrer as big long staple to hold to vinyl to the sides of the run. It has held up rain, snow and wind pretty well so far this season, but I am not sure it'll last till next year. Got some serious renovation to do this summer! I'll need to study @Acre4Me's design and descriptions in more detail.

This is our first year - we learned by encountering situations and trying to remedy with quick fixes since we were always left with no time to find proper material or redo anything. It's great that you are thinking ahead!

TarpsNow and I'm sure other places have clear tarps and reinforced ones for a good price

 

[WhySayWhat]

My 2 cents...

I always plan 4 sq ft INSIDE space per bird. For 8 birds that's 32 sq feet minimum, round up for easier math and cutting, 4' by 10' is 40 sq ft...4' by 12' would be a sheet and a half of plywood (easy cutting and leaves plenty of room for "chicken math") and leaves room for 12 birds at maximum capacity, meaning plenty of room for the 6-8.

Then, you have OUTSIDE space...doesn't include what they have inside at all...10 sq ft minimum outside....so you need at least 80 sq ft for 8 birds....going off the"long side" of a 4' by 12' coop, you'd need to go 6.5-7' out to provide minimum space, again though, go BIG for chicken math and happier birds! I'd go 16-24' out for easier cutting (8' lengths times 2-3 of them)...this would provide 192-288 sq ft of outside space...or 24-36 sq ft of outdoor space for 8 birds.

My original flock was only 3 hens, all I could legally have at the time. They had a 4'x8' coop (pallet crates turned upside down on a 4'x8' floor), roughly 5' of roost inside and was raised up on pillars so they could also use the space under the coop. The exterior area, including under the coop, is/was 12'x15' (the underside of my second story back deck), giving them 180 sq ft of outdoor space (60 sq ft per bird).

Since I don't free range at all (too many dangers for them), I want to keep the space as large as possible! I'm currently building a new coop and run as laws have change here and I can have 10 hens (legally)...shipping on 10 chicks though was $50, by ordering 5 more the shipping dropped to $15! I "saved" $25 by ordering 15 chicks...this is how chicken math works though...building a run onto our unused shed (it came with the house...we've never really used it for anything and almost everything in it "came with the house"), at minimum, the run will be 7'x30', but will be wider than 7'...I just have to "wait and see" what kind of lumber I have to work with when my mom and stepfather arrive next week! They are cleaning up their property and bringing me all of the lumber (1"x1" to 2"x12" and plywood).

TLR....build bigger and plan extra space so that they have plenty of room to stretch out.