Chicken Run Size Calculator
Chicken Run Size Calculator
The run is your flock's living room. Enter your bird count and breed size for the total area, three buildable layouts, and the fencing length for the most popular shape.
The standard planning figure is 10 sq ft of run per standard hen. Runs are where chickens spend their waking hours — an undersized run turns to bare mud and bored, feather-pecking birds within weeks, so treat these numbers as a floor, not a ceiling.
Your run
Fencing length is the full perimeter of the 2:1 rectangle — add a little extra for the gate overlap and corners. Long, narrow runs fit side yards well; squares are cheapest to fence per square foot.
How it works
Area first: birds × sq ft per bird = run area, using the extension-guidance rates — bantam 6, standard 10, large 12 sq ft. Dimensions then come from the square root of the area: a square's side is √area, a 2:1 rectangle's short side is √(area ÷ 2), and a 3:1's is √(area ÷ 3). Fencing is the full perimeter of the 2:1 layout.
Worked example: 8 standard hens need 80 sq ft of run — a square about 8.9 × 8.9 ft, a 2:1 rectangle of about 12.6 × 6.3 ft needing roughly 38 ft of fencing, or a long 16.4 × 5.5 ft side-yard strip. Round every measurement up when you build; nobody's hens ever complained about the extra inches.
Chicken run size chart (standard breeds)
Run area at 10 sq ft per standard hen, with the 2:1 rectangle — the most common garden layout — worked out for each flock size.
| Chickens | Run area | Run area (m²) | Square run | 2:1 rectangle | Fencing (2:1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 chickens | 40 sq ft | 3.7 m² | 6.3 × 6.3 ft | 8.9 × 4.5 ft | about 26.8 ft |
| 6 chickens | 60 sq ft | 5.6 m² | 7.7 × 7.7 ft | 11 × 5.5 ft | about 32.9 ft |
| 8 chickens | 80 sq ft | 7.4 m² | 8.9 × 8.9 ft | 12.6 × 6.3 ft | about 37.9 ft |
| 10 chickens | 100 sq ft | 9.3 m² | 10 × 10 ft | 14.1 × 7.1 ft | about 42.4 ft |
| 12 chickens | 120 sq ft | 11.1 m² | 11 × 11 ft | 15.5 × 7.7 ft | about 46.5 ft |
| 20 chickens | 200 sq ft | 18.6 m² | 14.1 × 14.1 ft | 20 × 10 ft | about 60 ft |
Frequently asked questions
How big should a chicken run be per chicken?
The standard planning figure is 10 sq ft of run per standard hen, 6 sq ft per bantam and 12 sq ft per large breed. That is a floor, not a target: runs are where chickens spend the day, and more space means the ground survives, parasites build up more slowly and the birds stay calmer.
Is 8 sq ft per chicken enough for a run?
It can work for birds that also free-range part of the day, but a permanently stocked run at 8 sq ft per standard hen usually goes bare and muddy fast. If the run is their whole outdoor world, 10 sq ft is the honest minimum and 15+ is noticeably easier to manage.
How much fencing do I need for a chicken run?
It depends on shape: for the same area, a square has the shortest perimeter and a long thin rectangle the longest. For a 2:1 rectangle — a common side-yard shape — the fencing is six times the short side. The calculator gives the exact perimeter for the 2:1 layout; add a little for gates and corner overlaps.
Does the coop count toward run space?
No. Run space is outdoor scratching and exercise area, counted separately from the coop floor. If the coop sits inside the run's footprint on legs, the shaded area underneath it is bonus space the hens will use, but don't count it toward either total when planning.
What height should run fencing be?
Most laying breeds are content behind 4–6 ft of mesh — lighter, flightier breeds may clear 6 ft unless a wing is clipped or the run is covered. Height matters less than security: a buried or skirted bottom edge keeps diggers out, and a roof or net keeps climbers and hawks out.