How Big Should a Chicken Run Be? Sizes for 3 to 12 Hens

How big should a chicken run be? Start with about 10 sq ft of run for every standard-size hen, then shape that area to fit your yard. The run also needs height, a covered top and predator-proof wire. This guide covers each one, with real run sizes for 3 to 12 hens.

• How big should a chicken run be per chicken?
• What size run do you need for your flock?
• How tall should a chicken run be?
• Should a chicken run be covered?
• What wire should you use on a chicken run?
• How do you stop predators from digging into the run?
• Is a low movable run a good option?
• What are the most common run sizing mistakes?
• How do you plan your chicken run?

How big should a chicken run be per chicken?

Extension services agree on a narrow range. University of Delaware Cooperative Extension recommends an additional 8 to 10 sq ft per chicken in the outdoor run to prevent crowding. Creatures' coop guide gives the same 8 to 10 sq ft and calls it a floor rather than a target.

The eXtension poultry team recommends 10 sq ft per laying hen outdoors. Virginia Cooperative Extension lists the same 10 sq ft for standard laying hens and 5 to 8 sq ft for bantams.

Our plan engine uses 10 sq ft of run per hen, the top of that range. When sources differ, we pick the more generous number. University of Delaware states the reason plainly: to prevent crowding.

Why do the numbers vary at all?

eXtension is candid about it: there is very little peer-reviewed research on space for backyard poultry. Most space rules come from commercial production systems. So treat the per-hen number as a sensible minimum, and give your hens more when your yard allows it.

What size run do you need for your flock?

Multiply your hen count by 10 sq ft, then pick a footprint that fits your space. The table shows the walk-in run sizes our plan engine builds for common flocks. Costs are our estimated material costs for the Economy group, from typical US home-center prices, for a run with a wire top.

Small flocks get a little extra room. A 6x6 ft run is the smallest walk-in size in our plans, so 3 hens get 12 sq ft each. The Durable material group costs more: we estimate $401 to $686 for the 3-hen run and $501 to $857 for the 6-hen run.

Is there a maximum size?

In our DIY plans, one run tops out at 120 sq ft, enough for 12 hens. That limit keeps the build inside our DIY scope. If you keep more than 12 hens, plan a second run rather than one oversized pen.

How tall should a chicken run be?

Build the run tall enough for you, not just the hens. You will go inside to refill water, collect stray eggs and clean the floor. If you have to crawl, you will clean less often.

Our walk-in runs are 6 ft tall at the top of the wire, with a 36 in gate for carrying in feed and bedding. The frame uses pressure-treated 4x4 posts set at most 8 ft apart.

Should a chicken run be covered?

Yes. An open-top run invites hawks and owls, and climbing predators can go over a fence. Virginia Cooperative Extension says to cover the top of your outside runs with mesh wire or netting to prevent problems with birds of prey.

Our plans close the top with the same 1/2 in hardware cloth as the walls. That stops hawks and climbing predators alike. A wire top lets rain and snow in, so our plans also offer an optional corrugated metal roof, set at a 2:12 slope above the wire.

A roof is worth it where snow or long rainy spells would keep your hens out of an open run. A dry run gets used every day, so the coop does not have to hold the whole flock during bad weather.

What wire should you use on a chicken run?

Use 1/2 in hardware cloth, never chicken wire. The Chicken Chick says chicken wire is not recommended as security fencing for coops and runs. Raccoons and some dogs can tear through it with relative ease.

Small openings matter too. The same guide warns that minks and weasels squeeze through very small openings, and it advises sealing every opening larger than 1 in with hardware cloth. Creatures' guide also lists half-inch hardware cloth, never chicken wire, as its rule.

In our plans, 1/2 in hardware cloth covers every side and the top of the run. The same wire goes on both material groups, because predator protection is not the place to save money.

How do you stop predators from digging into the run?

Some predators dig under the fence instead of climbing it. You can stop them in two ways: bury the wire, or lay an apron.

• Bury the wire: Virginia Cooperative Extension says to bury the wire along the pen border at least 12 in deep and toe the fence outward about 6 in.
• Lay an apron: Creatures describes a horizontal apron of hardware cloth laid flat on the ground, extending outward from the base of the run.

Our plans use the apron method, with 24 in of hardware cloth laid flat around the outside of the run. An animal that digs at the base of the fence hits wire instead of soil, and you skip digging a trench.

Is a low movable run a good option?

A low movable run works for small flocks if you have lawn to rotate it across. Our low movable run is 36 in tall and sized for up to 6 hens. You can move it, so it has no apron.

The same 10 sq ft per hen applies, so a low run gives your flock no less floor area than a walk-in one. The trade-off is access. At 36 in tall you clean it from outside, and without an apron it needs to sit flat on the ground so nothing can slip under the frame.

What are the most common run sizing mistakes?

Most run problems come from building to the minimum or saving on the wrong part. Watch for these:

1. Sizing for today's flock. If you may add hens next year, build for that number now.
2. Using chicken wire. It keeps hens in but does not keep predators out.
3. Leaving the top open. Hawks and climbing predators reach the flock from above.
4. Skipping the apron. A strong fence still fails if an animal can dig under it.
5. Building too low to enter. A run you cannot walk into is a run you will not clean.

The run also works with the coop, so size both together. Our guide on how much space chickens need covers coop floor, roosts and nest boxes alongside the run.

How do you plan your chicken run?

You now know how big a chicken run should be for your flock: about 10 sq ft per hen, 6 ft tall if you walk in, and wrapped in 1/2 in hardware cloth with an apron at the base. The next step is to fit that footprint into your yard.

Our free chicken run preview shows a run sized with these rules as a 3D model before you pay anything. You can also compare walk-in, covered and low movable styles on the chicken run plans page.