Is the run big enough?

[parrot1974]

I work on the following:

12" perch space each - minimum
2 square feet per bird inside the house
4 square feet per bird in the run

Now I'm really confused. Is 4 square feet per bird basically 2 ft by 2ft or is it 4 feet squared (i.e. 16 ft) per bird? Our new run is 11ft x 5 ft now that it's finished, so I can either fit 3 and a bit hens in it or 13! Bit of a difference, and our 4 hens are arriving hopefully this weekend, so I hope it's big enough. I was working on a metre squared and thinking I could fit that many in. They will be allowed out into the garden when we're at home, and they've got 8 ft of perch space and a 5ft x 3 ft coop, so hope that's plenty. Can anyone help?

[davefromthechipie]

I think im right here but its done like this 2 feet square is about 13 inch square and not like 1feet by 1feet by 1feet by 1foot as that would be 4 square feet

[parrot1974]

Now I'm even more confused, Dave! So how many could fit in an 11 x 5 ft run? Sorry to make you do maths on a Friday!

[davefromthechipie]

Maths isnt me strong point but id say it adds upto 11 hens I think

[parrot1974]

Thanks for that! I'll feel better when I see the 4 hens in it. Just possibly thinking ahead for that future, when one or two of them have stopped laying or we just get a couple of younger birds.

[ChrisB]

Ooh heck, I didn't mean to confuse you - sorry

In an 11 x 5 run you could in theory fit 13.75 birds (don't forget the .75)

The 4 sq ft is a minimum for each bird though.

Think I'll keep quiet now in case I do any more damage

[parrot1974]

Thanks Chris. For some reason I kept doubting the 13.75 birds and thinking 3.5ish (don't forget the 'ish'). Was imagining enormous hens, size of dinosaurs... Having said that, won't ever have 13 birds, but nice to know that I can have another 2 or 3 if necessary!

[shirlthegirl43]

We are finally bashing together a form of chicken ark/run. The timber available allows a structure 42 inches wide by 6 foot long as the base measurement. We are unsure how much will have to be allocated for nesting/perching and nowhere seems to make it clear. The chickens will be in the ark most of the time but moved every day around the lawn. Weekends and days where we are at home they will be allowed out to roam the garden for a few hours.

Can anyone help with how tall the triangle needs to be and how much of the overall 'length' should be for perch and nesting? My brain has seized up now.

[Hilary B]

If you are making a classic 'toblerone shaped' ark, 42 inches wide, it will be about 3ft high, plenty enough headspace for chooks. Ideally the 'indoor' bit will be no more than a third of the total. If it gets moved a fair bit, and they get extra freedom when practical, that will do for 3-4 big hens, or about 6 bantams (even more if they are really small banties). They might be a bit happier in a 'box-shaped' ark (and probably easier on the DIY skills) and if you make it 42" high (if that is the size of timber you have handy), the house can have open space underneath, in which case it can be a bit more than a third of the total 'ground area', and the top half of that space. That would be comfy for 4 big hens. (my first henhouse was not very different from that description, and we had 6 bred-for-battery hens in it, let out when we could).

[HayleyB]

Good lord, didn't realise you had to be a maths genius to have chooks and someones gone and nicked my calculator

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for that HilaryB. Timber availability is quite restriced (cash strapped to say the least at the mo) so we will see what we can manage. We were fortunate to be given a load of weldmesh so the run will be quite strong.

One more question, will a secured broom handle do for a perch or are they better with a square batten of some type?

[elizajay]

Chickens should have square perches with the corners rounded off.

[shirlthegirl43]

Chickens should have square perches with the corners rounded off.

Thought so, dunno where I will find something to suit. Hoped the broom handle would do the job

[Hilary B]

I don't think a broom handle would be thick enough for full size hens to grip happily. Banties would perhaps cope better. I think they do prefer 'square with rounded corners' unless it is a branch with the bark on. Smooth round perches need a strong grip....

[shirlthegirl43]

I have some leylandii trunks which are about 2 inches diameter with lots of stubby branch ends - would they work maybe? They have been drying for about 6 years so don't have any bark left though