Modelling: M2
Free-range chicken run
Free-range chickens need a lot of space in order to get maximum exercise and be healthy and lay healthy eggs. You are the owner of an egg company and want good quality eggs from your chickens as cheaply as possible. However, in order to reduce costs, you want to use as little wire netting (see data sheet) as possible to keep the chickens fenced in.
Task A
An rectangular area of 30 m² is to be used for a chicken run. You consider making the width of the chicken run 5 m. What should the length be? How much wire netting is needed and how much will it cost? Get the spreadsheet to work all this out for you.
Hint
A possible starting point for the Chicken Run problem with an assumed cost of £1.65 per metre for fencing. Formulas need to be entered in cells E2, F2, G2 and D3 and then copied down the sheet.
What size of chicken run (still with area 30 m²) will cost the least amount in wire netting? Produce a graph to show the connection between width and total cost of wire.
Task B
Your business is expanding. You buy more chickens and now need twice as much space. Should you make two similar chicken runs or one big one?
Task C
In order to cut more costs, you decide to use an existing shed wall instead of fencing as one side of the run. What is the least amount of fencing netting needed now to contain an area of 30 m²? What should you do if you need twice as much space?
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