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How Much #57 Stone for a 10x20 Chicken Run?

How much #57 stone for a 10x20 chicken run: about 2.5 tons at 3 inches deep. The area is 200 square feet, which is 1.85 cubic yards at that depth.

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The math

  1. Area: 200.0 sq ft.
  2. Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
  3. Cubic yards: 200.0 × 0.250 ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³.
  4. Tons: × about 1.35 tons per yard = 2.5 tons.

The crushed stone calculator does this for any size.

#57 stone needed by depth

DepthCubic yardsTons of #57 stoneTons +10%
2 in1.231.71.8
3 in1.852.52.8
4 in2.473.33.7
6 in3.705.05.5

Building the chicken run base

Gravel in a run stops the ground from turning into a muddy, smelly mess. Washed stone of about 3/8 to 3/4 inch drains well; some keepers add sand or wood chips on top in part of the run for dust bathing.

Before the stone goes in

Remove sod and roots, level the area and slope it slightly for drainage. Install edging so the stone stays inside the footprint.

Getting it delivered

If you haul it yourself, a typical half-ton pickup should carry only about half a cubic yard of stone, well under what the bed looks like it can hold. #57 is a washed stone of roughly 1/2 to 1 inch with few fines; it drains fast but stays a little loose on its own. Round up by about 10 percent for compaction and uneven ground.

Tools for the job

For anything bigger than a small path, rent a plate compactor; hand tampers cannot match it. A wheelbarrow, shovels, a hard rake and stakes with string are the rest of the kit. Wet the stone lightly before compacting so it binds.

Measuring the area

Measure length and width in feet at a few points and use the largest figures, since real sites are rarely square. For odd shapes, split the area into rectangles and circles, work out each one and add them together. Depth is the number most people underestimate: drive a stake, run a level string and measure down to the dug-out surface in several spots.

Questions people ask

How many tons of #57 stone for a 10x20 chicken run?

About 2.5 tons at 3 inches deep.

How many yards of #57 stone for a 10x20 chicken run?

About 1.85 cubic yards.

How many tons of #57 stone are in a cubic yard?

Roughly 1.35 tons for planning, but suppliers vary with stone size and moisture.

Do I need to compact it?

Yes for anything that carries weight. Compact in lifts of a few inches with a plate compactor.

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