How Much Run Space per Chicken? (A Look at How Many Square Feet Hens & Other Chickens Need)

How Big of a Run Do I Need for My Chickens?

Unknowingly, most people don’t give enough square feet per chicken in an outside run, which can l lead to some severe physical and mental health disadvantages.

So if you’re going to keep your backyard chickens inside their coop and run, it’s recommended that at least 8 to 10 square feet is provided per adult chicken in an outdoor run.

However, bantam breeds are smaller-sized chickens so they generally require less space than regular-sized chickens. On the other hand, if you get hefty meat birds, they’ll need more space than standard-sized chickens.

The measurements below are the least amount of space a chicken needs in a run:

Chicken Breed/SizeOutside Run
Standard8 square feet per bird
Large10 square feet per bird
Bantam4 square feet per bird

Just to be safe, always aim to give them more run space than you think they’ll need. The more space you give them, the happier and healthier they’ll be!

I personally like to give my standard-sized chickens 12 square feet per bird in their run.

Another great idea is to get a pen for your chickens (Amazon), just so they can be outside their run for an adventure while keeping them safe from predators or traffic.

However, you might want to wrap your pen with hardware cloth if you’re not going to supervise your chickens.

Hardware Cloth

To protect my chickens from all sorts of predators, I never use chicken wire for my chicken coops, runs, or pens because raccoons and other predators can easily rip it apart. Plus, predators (like raccoons) can even grab chickens and eat them through chicken wire or fencing.

Instead, I use hardware cloth (Amazon) that’s made of a 1/4-inch a 1/2-inch mesh and I secure them with poultry staples (Amazon), which is safer than using staples. Or, you can use zip ties.

I also use hog rings and a hog ring plier (Amazon) if I need to fasten 2 pieces of fencing material together.

Here are a few examples of how much run space you should give your chickens:

How Big of a Run Do I Need for 10 Chickens?

Standard Chicken Size:
8 square feet needed per chicken x 10 chickens = 80 square feet (minimum)

Large/Meat Chicken Size:
10 square feet needed per chicken x 10 chickens = 100 square feet (minimum)

Bantam Chicken Size:
4 square feet needed per chicken x 10 chickens = 40 square feet (minimum)

How Big of a Run Do 15 Chickens Need?

Standard Chicken Size:
8 square feet needed per chicken x 15 chickens = 120 square feet (minimum)

Large/Meat Chicken Size:
10 square feet needed per chicken x 15 chickens = 150 square feet (minimum)

Bantam Chicken Size:
4 square feet needed per chicken x 15 chickens = 60 square feet (minimum)

How Big of a Run Do I Need for 20 Chickens?

Standard Chicken Size:
8 square feet needed per chicken x 20 chickens = 160 square feet (minimum)

Large/Meat Chicken Size:
10 square feet needed per chicken x 20 chickens = 200 square feet (minimum)

Bantam Chicken Size:
4 square feet needed per chicken x 20 chickens = 80 square feet (minimum)

How Many Chickens Can You Put in a 4×8 Run?

4 feet x 8 feet = 32 square feet

Standard Chicken Size:
32 square feet ÷ 8 square feet needed per chickens = 4 chickens maximum

Large/Meat Chicken Size:
32 square feet ÷ 10 square feet needed per chickens = 3.2 (3 chickens maximum)

Bantam Chicken Size:
32 square feet ÷ 4 square feet needed per chickens = 8 chickens maximum

How Many Chickens Can Fit in an 8×10 Run?

8 feet x 10 feet = 80 square feet

Standard Chicken Size:
80 square feet ÷ 8 square feet needed per chickens = 10 chickens maximum

Large/Meat Chicken Size:
80 square feet ÷ 10 square feet needed per chickens = 8 chickens maximum

Bantam Chicken Size:
80 square feet ÷ 4 square feet needed per chickens = 20 chickens maximum

How Many Chickens Can Fit in a 10×10 Run?

10 feet x 10 feet = 100 square feet

Standard Chicken Size:
100 square feet ÷ 8 square feet needed per chickens = 12.5 (12 chickens maximum)

Large/Meat Chicken Size:
100 square feet ÷ 10 square feet needed per chickens = 10 chickens maximum

Bantam Chicken Size:
100 square feet ÷ 4 square feet needed per chickens = 25 chickens maximum

Conclusion: How Big of a Run Do Chickens Need?

The answer to this question depends on a few factors, such as the type of chicken and the climate in which they live.

In general, though, approximately 8 to 10 square feet of run space per bird is ideal. But more run space is always better!

But why is space so important?

Here are a few reasons why you should give a spacious run for chickens:

More Run Space per Chicken = Less Bullying

All chicken flocks have a pecking order. There will be chickens higher up in the hierarchy, and there will be more submissive chickens on the lower end.

The less space your flock has in their chicken coop and run, the more likely it is that the more dominant chickens will bully the chickens at the lower end of the pecking order.

But if there’s an abundance of space, there will be less of a chance that your chickens will be cornered and bullied. It’s essential that chickens can run away from each other if there’s any conflict.

A Spacious Run Provides Room for Foraging

A larger run helps the bullying situation far more than a larger chicken coop because it’s the run area that gives your chickens the chance to forage. Foraging keeps them busy.

To keep your chickens entertained and less irritated towards each other, you want the run to remain grassy. The grass will provide bugs and other stuff to eat and entertain them.

If your run is too small, they’ll forage everything and you’ll be left with bare dirt and irritated chickens. If this happens, and you can’t move the coop or provide your chickens with a chicken pen (Amazon), you can provide bedding for the run and throw some leftovers, seeds, or other treats in there so that the chickens can have fun foraging for food.

Some Breeds Need Less Run Space per Chicken

If you don’t free-range your chickens at all, make sure to do your research on what breeds need less floor space in their coop and run to be healthy and happy.

Some breeds do better in confined coops, such as Silkie Bantams, Australorps, Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Plymouth Rocks, and Cochin Bantams.

Other Reasons Why Every Chicken Needs Extra Run Space

Chickens are happier, healthier, and at their best when they have adequate space to run around in. This is because they are able to exercise and explore their surroundings, which makes them less stressed and more content.

Plus, not giving chickens enough run space can increase the chance of them getting diseases. It can also result in your laying hens to produce fewer eggs (or no eggs), or it can even cause death.

So, if you’re looking to keep your chickens happy and healthy, consider giving them as much run space as you possibly can.