Help! Run material advice

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DS17

DS17

Songster
8 Years
Jun 14, 2015
134
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My free ranging flock has taken the word free range to the extreme! I am constantly having to go over to the neighbors and bring them back. I'm talking well over 100 yards away from our yard. I have lost 5 birds since I started having chickens in May. I have got to start containing them unfortunately. The coop is a prebuilt (please don't judge. My husband runs our business and doesn't have time to build a coop even though we own a construction company
1f629.png
) The coop is off the ground with a big door to go in on one side and a small door and ramp on the other. There is a big door in front to collect eggs. The coop is 6 ft long by 5 ft wide and 6 feet high. For a quick fix I was thinking of enclosing the whole coop with a dog run but was wondering if there were any better ideas. We do have cattle panels that we could use although they are not 6 ft tall. And it's too muddy and frozen to hammer the t posts into the ground. I know a permanent run would need to have at least a foot of protection under the ground but for now I just need a quick solution until spring. Any cost effective suggestions?
 
Well except for the T-post problem, I came across some old galvanized roofing tin, pounded in 8 footers, drilled holes in the tin, and wired it to the posts, the went upward with chicken wire.
That's all I got.

Maybe a gas powered post hole digger might work.
hu.gif


They also make a pneumatic post pounder you can rent.
 
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DS17 said:
My free ranging flock has taken the word free range to the extreme! I am constantly having to go over to the neighbors and bring them back. I'm talking well over 100 yards away from our yard. I have lost 5 birds since I started having chickens in May. I have got to start containing them unfortunately. The coop is a prebuilt (please don't judge. My husband runs our business and doesn't have time to build a coop even though we own a construction company
1f629.png
) The coop is off the ground with a big door to go in on one side and a small door and ramp on the other. There is a big door in front to collect eggs. The coop is 6 ft long by 5 ft wide and 6 feet high. For a quick fix I was thinking of enclosing the whole coop with a dog run but was wondering if there were any better ideas. We do have cattle panels that we could use although they are not 6 ft tall. And it's too muddy and frozen to hammer the t posts into the ground. I know a permanent run would need to have at least a foot of protection under the ground but for now I just need a quick solution until spring. Any cost effective suggestions?
Click to expand...
Dog run would work for fast.
You don't need to bury a foot of wire, look into using an apron for anti dig.

 
aart said:
Dog run would work for fast. You don't need to bury a foot of wire, look into using an apron for anti dig.
Click to expand...
Very interesting. Definitely something to think about. What material would you suggest for the apron? Can it lay on top of the ground???
 
I'd bury it just enough to hide it, that was whatever is digging will hit it but won't think to back up and dig further away. If the edge can be seen a racoon is smart enough to pry up the edge. Don't have to bury it much, this is how I did mine
400

Edit: half inch hardware cloth is the material of choice for most
 
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DS17 said:
Quote: I used the same mesh as my run, 14 g 2x4 welded wire, and brought the apron out 12-18 inches.
I left it on the surface, but in hindsight should have slightly buried it in places,
(like Husker Hens did) because the mower has mangled it in a couple spots...mostly it's fine, where the ground and fencing was flat and the grass grew up thru it.

Run mesh material will vary on predator load and builder's cost resources.
Mine is not meant to be night time secure, hawks are my biggest concern around here.
I also had to put some lumber and logs around the inside of run walls because the chooks like to dig big holes right next to the wall.....
.....and in some areas under the apron, like they are planning a break out haha.

Click to expand...
 
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I made my yard out of aviary mesh and star pickets. I ran wire through the star pickets (horizontally) and attached the wire mesh with wire to the horizontal wire. It can be relatively easily be taken down and moved. (I just folded the aviary mesh over on the bottom to make a "self-apron", but I put the apron on the inside to stop the chooks digging out (there's nobody on the outside to dig in, it's in my backyard)

EDIT: If you need it taller than the width of your wire, you can just join 2 lengths of wire using aviary clips
 
Last edited:
potato chip said:
I made my yard out of aviary mesh and star pickets. I ran wire through the star pickets (horizontally) and attached the wire mesh with wire to the horizontal wire. It can be relatively easily be taken down and moved. (I just folded the aviary mesh over on the bottom to make a "self-apron", but I put the apron on the inside to stop the chooks digging out (there's nobody on the outside to dig in, it's in my backyard)

EDIT: If you need it taller than the width of your wire, you can just join 2 lengths of wire using aviary clips
Click to expand...
What are 'star pickets'?
Had to look it up.....interesting .
http://www.starpickets.com/
 

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