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How big should a chicken run be?
Outdoor square feet per bird, then the run field from this site's coop calculator. The indoor coop is a separate number.
Built by Jeremy Panasuk. Published October 6, 2026.
Published run rates
| Bird | Run | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Laying hen, outdoor | 10 sq ft | eXtension. This is the planning rate on the calculator for a standard bird. |
| Laying hen, run minimum | 8 sq ft | Penn State Extension and Maryland Extension. |
| Large chicken, run | 10 sq ft | The same Penn State and Maryland tables. It matches the 10 sq ft column, not a new rate. |
| Bantam, run minimum | 4 sq ft | Penn State and Maryland. The calculator's bantam run is 8 sq ft, which is above that minimum. |
The indoor figures are not the run. eXtension's indoor range for chickens is about 3 to 4 sq ft. Penn State and Maryland list 1.5 sq ft for laying hens and 2 sq ft for large chickens indoors, and 1 sq ft for bantams. Those floors are on the flock table. This page multiplies only the outdoor lines.
Worked example: 6 standard hens
- eXtension outdoor, and the calculator's standard rate before rounding: 6 × 10 = 60 sq ft.
calcCoopSize(6, "standard")returns run 60 sq ft because 60 is already a multiple of 4. The coop field on that call is 24 sq ft. That coop number is not the run. - Laying-hen run minimum: 6 × 8 = 48 sq ft. Penn State and Maryland. The calculator does not use 8 for a standard bird.
- Large-chicken run: 6 × 10 = 60 sq ft, the same product as the planning column.
- If those six were bantams: published minimum 6 × 4 = 24 sq ft.
calcCoopSize(6, "bantam")uses 8 sq ft and returns run 48 sq ft. That 48 is extra room above the 4 sq ft minimum, not a second published bantam rate.
The function also returns an example footprint string. That rectangle can be larger than the square-foot product, because it picks a side and rounds the other side up. Read runSqFt as the area. Read the footprint as an example shape, not a second requirement.
Run your own count
Free-range versus confined
The pages cited here do not publish a reduced free-range run. eXtension still says about 10 sq ft outdoors, and Penn State and Maryland still list 8 sq ft of run for laying hens. Birds are locked in at night, so the indoor rate still applies then. eXtension says the interior space requirement increases if the climate does not allow year-round outdoor use, and it does not give a replacement number. Do not invent a smaller daytime run from that sentence.
How to size it
- Pick the bird. Standard planning on this site is 10 sq ft of run. Laying hens on the Penn State and Maryland tables are 8 sq ft. Large chickens on those tables are 10 sq ft. Bantam minimum is 4 sq ft.
- Multiply. Six standard hens at 10 sq ft are 60 sq ft. The same six at the laying-hen 8 sq ft line are 48 sq ft.
- Read calcCoopSize. The run field is the bird count times 10 (standard) or 8 (bantam), rounded up to the next 4 sq ft. The footprint string can be a rectangle larger than that product.
- Free-range. Do not subtract a number these pages do not publish. The indoor rate still applies at night.
Common mistake
Using the coop square footage as the run, or building only the 8 sq ft laying-hen minimum when the plan on this site is the 10 sq ft outdoor figure. The other mistake is a free-range discount. These sources do not print one.
Limits
Penn State says to bury run wire at least 12 inches deep and toe it outward about 6 inches. That is a predator detail, not a square-foot rate. Ducks use 15 sq ft of run on the Penn State and Maryland tables, which is a different page: how much space ducks need.
FAQ
How many square feet of run does a chicken need?
eXtension lists about 10 sq ft outdoors per laying hen. Penn State and Maryland list 8 sq ft of run for laying hens and 10 sq ft of run for large chickens. This site's calculator uses 10 for a standard bird and rounds the run up to the next 4 sq ft.
How big should the run be if chickens free-range?
The pages cited here do not publish a reduced free-range run. eXtension still says about 10 sq ft outdoors, and Penn State and Maryland still list 8 sq ft of run for laying hens. Birds are locked in at night, so the indoor rate still applies then. eXtension says interior space increases if birds cannot go outside year-round, and it does not give a replacement number.
How much run do bantams need?
Penn State and Maryland list a bantam run minimum of 4 sq ft. The calculator's bantam setting uses 8 sq ft of run, which is extra room above that minimum, then rounds up to the next 4 sq ft. Ten bantams at the published minimum are 40 sq ft of run.
Related: chicken coop calculator, coop size by flock, coop for 6 hens.
Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below. Spot an error? Email jpanasuk@gmail.com.
Sources
- eXtension Small and Backyard Poultry, "Space allowances in housing for small and backyard poultry flocks". https://poultry.extension.org/articles/getting-started-with-small-and-backyard-poultry/housing-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks/space-allowances-in-housing-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks/. Accessed Oct 6, 2026.
- Penn State Extension, "Small Scale Poultry Housing" (updated June 25, 2026). https://extension.psu.edu/small-scale-poultry-housing/. Accessed Oct 6, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension, "Housing Requirements" (updated May 11, 2022). https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/housing-requirements. Accessed Oct 6, 2026.