What size run please?

[pebbles77]

Hi, we are thinking about getting chickens for the first time and we are very very excited :)

Initially we are getting 6 hens but don't want to cut off our ability to buy a few more if we want.

We are going to buy a chicken run from aviaries4u (they were recommended on here) and are leaning towards the 12ft x 6ft x 6ft. Is this going to be big enough???? I'm really bad at maths so can't work out what a chicken may need?

Thanks so much in advance

If the chickens are going to stay in the run all the time (ie not free range at all) the standard recommendation is a minimum of 4 square feet per bird, but actually you want to give them two or three times that if they're going to be happy. 12 foot by 6 foot gives you 72 square feet floor area, so on the basis of 4 square feet each in theory you could squash 18 in there , but actually I wouldn't put more than nine or ten in.

The more space you give a chicken the less stressed it is - they stay healthier and happier and you get to enjoy them for longer.

Thank you so much. I'm hoping to be able to do a bit of free range but unfortunately the majority of the time will be in the run. Oh i'm so pleased to know that 6 birds will be happy in a 12x6. The max we would probably go up to is 10 so still enough space. Thanks so much

Unfortunately aviaries4u has closed down. Can anyone recommend runs/aviaries that is reasonably priced. Or even just buying the panels and my husband can make it.

I'm getting very excited now

We ended up with a 5m run with an Eglu we bought from ebay. The only problem with this is you have to be a midget to get inside to lay wood chippings down etc (so we used my small teenage daughter). However, the chickens are free range for most of the day and will sulk if they have to go back in. They will be confined to their run this weekend as we are having two terriers come to stay with us! I really wanted a large walk in run and was sad to see that aviaries4u had closed down too.