Chicken Coop Run – Giving Your Chickens Room To Run And Be Chickens

When building a chicken coop, run room is necessary. Chickens are like any other animal. To remain healthy and happy, they need room to move around and be chickens. Any good coop will give the chicken places to roost, places to scratch, and plenty of room for individual space. Crowding too many chickens into a small space will increase the stress level on them. This leads to pecking and obvious signs of dominance display. This leads to injuries on the chickens and only adds to the stress levels. If you want a healthy contented flock, you need to plan the run as you do the nesting areas.

A good chicken coop run needs to have sun light. Chickens lay more eggs when they get regular exposure to the sun. Sun also keeps the ground drier and helps break down chicken droppings faster. This keeps the run healthier for the chickens and their owner as well. Most chicken owners place their coop run so that it gets good sunlight during the morning hours. This allows the dew to dry up and the chickens to get out early. If you place the run correctly, it will also provide some protection during the hotter parts of the day when the chickens might want a shade break.

Predators are another concern when it comes to your chicken coop run. When the chickens are in the roosting and nesting areas, they have some protection. However, in a poorly constructed run, the predators can get access. You need to provide protection from all sides. The run fencing need buried at least 8 to 12 inches down. This prevents digging predators from gaining entry. The top of the run also needs coverage. This prevents flying predators such as owls and hawks from swooping in.

Cleaning is a major concern with your chicken coop run. Chickens make droppings. That is a fact of life. Most owners want to keep their maintenance levels down when possible. A number of solutions are available. Some people gradually add straw over the top of the chicken droppings until they reach a point where they clean the coop out completely and start all over. Some owners use two different runs. The chickens use one side while the owner cleans and airs out the other side. This rotation allows ground cover to grow back. You can find a number of solutions if you do some basic research.

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