Building a better chicken run

[curious chickee]

I use deep litter, my run is 23' x 22'. I have it fenced around, with a skirt underground to prevent digging and avian netting across the top to keep out predators especially hawks.

 

[JackE]

Why not? Is it because it's electrified and they've been zapped. Do they fear it?

Mine will happily jump onto a 4' chain link fence, but that has a nice bar on top to perch on before jumping over. Maybe lacking that, they wouldn't do it.

I believe you have answered your own question. There is no top bar with the netting. So there is no landing spot for the chickens to see, and jump on. If they really wanted to, I would think they could go over. But, I have 650' of the netting, so the birds have a pretty big area to run around in, and are content to stay in there. As far as fearing the fence, they have hit it, and learned to be cautious around it. But I don't think they really fear it, as they go right up to it, and pick along the fenceline.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I believe you have answered your own question. There is no top bar with the netting. So there is no landing spot for the chickens to see, and jump on. If they really wanted to, I would think they could go over. But, I have 650' of the netting, so the birds have a pretty big area to run around in, and are content to stay in there. As far as fearing the fence, they have hit it, and learned to be cautious around it. But I don't think they really fear it, as they go right up to it, and pick along the fenceline.

Agreed on all points - they *could* go over, but they apparently have no desire to do so (it's a large area, there is nothing inside to get away from and nothing more tempting to go to).

 

[Blooie]

Easier (and more effective) than going down is to go out by employing a "no dig skirt" around the outside perimeter of the enclosure. This would work with concrete or wire since a digging predator moves up to the barrier and then begins to dig down to get under it....they hit the no dig skirt and will become frustrated in their attempt to gain access, eventually giving up and moving on. They do not think to move out away from the barrier to get beyond the skirting.

I also use a skirt of hardware cloth around my run. The hardware cloth runs 2 feet up the sides, then folds outward at the ground for another 2 feet or so. We secured it to the ground with landscape fabric staples, intending to accumulate a large supply of flat rock to put over it, but the grass grew up so nicely right through it that we can mow right up the the edge of the run. That makes it nice because it always looks nice and there are no little hidey holes next to the run for little pests to hide - like mousies, snakes, etc.

The floor of our run is good old dirt, with deep litter over that. It's worked beautifully to keep odors down, chicken feet clean(er), and no mud! I cleaned the run for the first time this spring and it's been in place since spring of last year. Amazingly it was still in such nice shape that I was able to keep a layer of the old litter in to "inoculate" the new with the beneficial bugs and microbes that make deep litter effective. The chickens dig and scratch in it, which helps alleviate boredom and keeps the poop turned over into the litter for decomposition. They did deep holes in it during winter and snuggle down like babies in a favorite blanket. In the hot months of summer they also dig holes in it, but more shallow, and they lay in the holes with their wings spread out over the surface of the litter to cool off.

 

[tcstoehr]

Agreed on all points - they *could* go over, but they apparently have no desire to do so (it's a large area, there is nothing inside to get away from and nothing more tempting to go to).

Interesting. I considered this sort of fencing to create a chicken-free zone in my back field. This would be where my vegetable garden and berry trellises are. Trust me, those chickens want to get in there. I still believe they would fly over it to get at the tomato patch and blueberries. So I opted instead for the 7' deer fencing which has so far worked. I just hope they never figure out how easy it would be to push underneath it.

 

[Silo]

Money is a non-issue. I think of the money spent on my chickens as an investment in protecting the agricultural diversity of my country and as a pleasure hobby. Those are some beautiful, happy chickens you have there, if I may say so.

As for the mulch, what kind do you use? I have been afraid of using mulch out of fear of little splinters that might lead to the dreaded bumblefoot. Also, when the coops are cleaned out, the result is added to the compost pile and I am not sure how well mulch would break down in my area since it can get quite dry here.

I put galvanised wire so it won't rust, as for mulch I just put regular old mulch.

 

[curious chickee]

I use euclyptus mulch since it is free, came from my tree trimmings or gorilla hair which is palm tree mulch (cheapest from local rockery)

 

[ravenvalor]

I use grass surrounded by electrified poultry net. That's a pretty nice floor for a run. They are safe from ground predators, and have places to hide from airborne threats. All that for a lot less work and $$$s then what you are talking about.

Hi Jack,
You have a really nice setup. It's nice to see chickens with plenty of room and green grass to eat.
How do you keep the airborne predators out?
What is the size of your run?
How many chickens do you keep in there?
Do you have issues with them overworking an area?
Great work!!!

 

[JackE]

Hi Jack,
You have a really nice setup. It's nice to see chickens with plenty of room and green grass to eat.
How do you keep the airborne predators out?
What is the size of your run?
How many chickens do you keep in there?
Do you have issues with them overworking an area?
Great work!!!

Thanks, it works well for me. And the picture is a couple of years old, with just 300' of the netting. The run now goes all the way to that tree on the far side of the coop, and branches off to the right another 50' or so. I can't keep airborne threats out, but over the years, the chickens get real tuned in to aerial threats. They hear a hawk, they haul it to cover, either under the coop, or in the big brushy area behind the coop. I have seen them even react to a crow's hawk warning call. I also provide them with hiding places away from the coop, with pallets on cinder blocks they can get under, and I let the grass grow tall in parts of the run so they can duck down in that.
The run is surrounded with 650' of electrified poultry net, so whatever the square foot of that is, that's it.
I usually have a average of 20 birds in there, sometimes more, sometimes a little less.
In front of the coop the grass is patchy, but other than that, I have no issue with them overworking an area. I still have to go in and cut the grass.

 

[Bluebonnet]

The biggest problem I have had is feral hogs, which are an invasive species that was probably introduced by Spanish explorers a few hundred years ago. There are over 2.6 million of them roaming all over the State and are known to travel over 70,000 acres. All of my livestock, orchards and gardens have to be fenced to keep out these pests. Some of them have been known to get up to 1,000 pounds and they carry all sorts of really nasty infectious diseases such as the plague, anthrax, worms and many others.