Permanent chicken runs are bad. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been a bad homesteader by raising chickens on a permanent chicken run. But I don’t anymore….and here’s why.
Permanent Chicken Runs Are Bad…..
Permanent chicken runs are bad for the land and they are bad for bird. After six months (sometimes less) permanent chicken runs become void of nutrient dense grasses and bugs. Instead of having a healthy environment of green grasses, worms, grass-hoppers, and flies you have a smelly, weed-infested, manure laden dead zone that promotes disease, sickness, death, and nutrient-lacking eggs.
That’s right; most ambitious homesteaders set out to live off the land and one of their first investments is a handful of chickens. I mean, what’s a homestead without at least 6 chickens? But then, where do we put them? Well, the simplest (and dare I say, laziest) solution is a permanent chicken run. That way we can keep the boogers off of our front porches and out of our gardens! Very few of us want chicken manure on our porches and those of us that have had them in our gardens know that they can wreak severe damage in no time.
But research in keeping birds thriving and healthy points to 3 important aspects in raising healthy chickens that in return give us joy and nutrient-dense eggs.
What Do Chickens Need?
1. They a need a clean environment
2. They need a well-balanced, nutritious diet
3. They need to be stress-free; protection from predators
I would argue that a permanent chicken run only meets one of those needs; protection from predators. The other two (a clean environment and well-balanced diet) are grossly neglected in a permanent run.
So then what is a good homesteading chicken owner to do? Glad you asked!
The answer?
Rotational Grazing
But I thought rotational grazing was for cows? You’re right; rotational grazing can be for cows but it can also be for chickens! If your chickens get frequently moved paddock to paddock, they will always have fresh green grass (a clean environment), a variety of bugs (a well balanced and nutritious diet), and they’ll be protected from predators!
So how do you do it? Just like cows. They key is to invest in portable infrastructure.
- A Portable Chicken Coop
- Electric Poulty Netting
Now I’ve seen some amazing chicken coops being built……we’re talking Taj Mahal of chicken coops! But they all invariably make the same terrible mistake; they’re not portable! Folks are spending hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars in amazing and functional chicken coops only to set them in one solitude place and build a permanent chicken run around it (we’ve already established why this is bad).
But if you build (or buy) and portable chicken coop (like the one in this video https://youtu.be/8Np93imUkOk) you can save money and practice good husbandry by being able to move your birds to fresh pastures as frequently as you’d like…..preferably 3 days behind cows, like this video: https://youtu.be/Xuf3-2SHzm4 If you need blueprints for the one in the video comment below and I’ll send you a link to the ones I used.
The second step is enclosing your portable chicken coop with poultry electric netting. I have several strands of Premier 1 poultry that I love! The 164′ section that I like to use was about $170 and you can purchase your very own here! I would recommend buying a 4 pack of the strong corner posts to add support for about $40. You’ll then need to electrify the netting with an electric fence charger. Just about any can do as long as it’s a pulsing charger. Make sure you don’t use a constant current or you’ll have problems! There are several good options out there, but I’d recommend a solar option in order to avoid not having a current if your electricity happens to go out. If you need a recommendation, I like this one:
It comes with an electric fence tester in which I find very valuable.
Good luck with your chicken raising homestead. I mean seriously, what’s a homestead without a couple of chickens? But when you start thinking about how to house your birds, think about one word; portability. For the health of your birds and the health of the land, invest in infrastructure that allows you to have a controllable yet portable chicken run. If you have questions or suggestions, we’d love to read your feedback in the comments below!