[dan_parsons]

im going to make a chicken enclosure for 2 or 3 sussex hens. in the enclosure will be their coop.

what size enclosure/run do i need to make?

[bantam novice]

Hello Dan, and welcome to the forum and the wacky world of chicken keeping! 

I am not that experienced about run sizes; however I understand that a hen will need at least 1 sq metre, preferably 2, of run space and you will also need to factor in space for drinking and feeding stations and the space taken by your coop. 

I'm sure other more experienced people will be along to give their opinion.  If you want to post pictures of proposed coop and run setups you will probably get lots of comments. We like pictures on this forum!  In the meantime good luck and keep us posted

[Jacinta]

Hello, i'm new too.  If it's a fixed run that they will be on full time, you'll need at least 2m square per hen.  I recommend you go for 3 hens, it really is the minimum to keep them happy especially if one dies, leaving you with one unhappy and lonely hen.  If you can raise the coop off the ground so the hens can have extra floor space, that'd be great and provide shade too.  I have built a raised platform for their feeder and drinker too, again more floor space but the big plus is that their feed and water won't get full of muck from them scratching.  They enjoy having different platforms and things to play on to prevent boredom, keeps it more natural.  Hope this helps.