How Much #57 Stone for an 8x12 Chicken Run?

How much #57 stone for an 8x12 chicken run: about 1.2 tons at 3 inches deep. The area is 96 square feet, which is 0.89 cubic yards at that depth.

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The math

Area: 96.0 sq ft.
Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
Cubic yards: 96.0 × 0.250 ÷ 27 = 0.89 yd³.
Tons: × about 1.35 tons per yard = 1.2 tons.

The crushed stone calculator does this for any size.

#57 stone needed by depth

Depth	Cubic yards	Tons of #57 stone	Tons +10%
2 in	0.59	0.8	0.9
3 in	0.89	1.2	1.3
4 in	1.19	1.6	1.8
6 in	1.78	2.4	2.6

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

Clear vegetation, rake the soil level and compact it. Lay fabric overlapped at the seams and set edging before spreading the stone.

Ordering and delivery

Most quarries and landscape yards deliver by the ton; ask whether there is a minimum and a delivery fee, and where the driver can dump without damaging your lawn. #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. Ask your supplier for their own tons-per-yard number, since stone source and moisture change it.

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.

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.

Questions people ask

How many tons of #57 stone for an 8x12 chicken run?

About 1.2 tons at 3 inches deep.

How many yards of #57 stone for an 8x12 chicken run?

About 0.89 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.

Should I put landscape fabric under the stone?

On soft or clay soil, a woven geotextile keeps stone from sinking into the dirt and makes the layer last longer.

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