The chicken run
Tip 1: To cover or not to cover?
First of all, you need to decide whether you will cover your chicken run with netting. If you have a very large run, this is not always a possibility. It is possible that your chickens escape by flying over the fence. You can reduce this risk by clipping the primary flight feathers of one wing.
Tip 2: The surface area
Chickens love to move and scratch around. To keep your chickens happy, you should provide a run of at least 5 m² per chicken. Also provide a covered area. This way the animals can shelter from the rain. This is also the perfect place to feed your animals.
To keep your chickens happy, you should provide a run of at least 5 m² per chicken.
Tip 3: The fence
The height of your fence mainly depends on your chickens. Do you have calm chickens that do not fly easily? Then a fence of about 1.10 to 1.50 m high should suffice. Do you have flighty chickens, then your fence should be between 1.80 m and 2 m high. It would be a good idea to bury the wire about thirty centimetres in the ground. This way you will also keep foxes and other predators outside the run easier.
Tip 4: A sand bath
Chickens like to bathe in sand or fine dust. That is also their way of getting rid of parasites. Provide a hole in the ground with sand or wood ashes, so your chickens can use that to bathe in.
Tip 5: Plants
Plants are a must as well. When chickens feel threatened, they like to have shelter to hide. Also, keep in mind that chickens like to peck the greenery. So banish poisonous plants from your chicken run.
A compost heap or a lying tree trunk with delicious earthworms form the icing on the cake. This is snack heaven for your chickens.
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