Run

A run is the fenced outdoor space attached to a coop where chickens spend most of their daylight hours scratching, dust bathing, and getting fresh air when they are not free ranging. A common space guideline is around 8 to 10 square feet of run per standard hen, on top of whatever indoor coop space they have, since a run that is too small quickly turns to bare dirt or mud no matter how well the coop itself is built.

Covering a run, whether with hardware cloth, netting, or a solid roof, cuts down dramatically on hawk and owl strikes, which happen fast and from directly above with little warning. An open run still needs strong perimeter fencing, since ground predators like dogs, raccoons, and foxes will test a run at ground level far more often than most keepers expect, especially at dawn and dusk.

Fencing choice matters as much as size. Hardware cloth resists digging and reaching predators far better than standard chicken wire, which mostly just keeps birds contained rather than keeping anything out. A common mistake is building a run that looks secure at eye level while ignoring the ground, where a predator apron or buried mesh is often what actually stops nightly losses.