Expanded run through the woods

[Sandracula]

I have put my coop in the woods in the one flat area I could find. I will be closing the gap under the run that is shown in the photos, don’t worry. I would really like to expand the run to let the ladies roam in the woods but I’m not sure if it’s practical. I would like to put 6 foot fencing around a large area of woods but don’t think it’s practical to put a top on it. If the chickens always have access to the roofed part of the run, would they run under there if a hawk was coming for them? I would only let them in the larger run during daylight hours. I haven’t seen any predators around here aside from hawks and stray cats. My other question is do you think I could just leave the ground as is in the expanded run? I plan to use pine pellets in the covered part of the run but the larger woods area is already covered in leaves.

 

[RojoMarz]

I would leave the extended run ground as is. If you feel the need to cover the extended run, you can use bird netting (not that great, but probably better than nothing). I've used it in our run and cut it so that it goes around trees.

 

[3KillerBs]

Any open pen always comes with the risk of hawks, but if there is plenty of shelter available the chickens have a better chance of evading them.

There's no guarantee, so you have to decide how much the extra space and the enrichment of them being able to forage in an area that strongly resembles the natural habitat of the jungle fowl is worth to you and how much risk you're willing to accept.

 

[Moose364]

I pretty much have the same setup. a coop with a enclosed run with a auto chicken door that lets them out at sun up and closes at dark, so there inside. my outer pen is 45 x 100 that is open top. i have dogs so I really don't worry about coons or cats, and the only attack that Ive had came from a Big Barn Owl, that almost got one of my Geese and the owl is with Jesus now. I think the trees help with the hawks and a good Rooster always helps keep a eye on the Ladys. I do have another covered coop that I move my baby chicks too and hens with chicks so I can keep them up all day and night and still let the bigs ones out. My biggest risk is at night. I have a creek on the back of my land, so it has coons and snakes Oh and my outside pen is 6' chain link with barb wire on top to make it a little over 7' tall.

 

[perkolator]

I haven’t seen any predators around here aside from hawks and stray cats.

Same for me...until I got the chickens. My coop is adjacent to over 20ac of undeveloped land and a creek. When I added a 2nd run with an auto door for daily use (because of how many chickens I lost to free-ranging), I just did a 6ft fence and it worked for a while - until they figured out they could just jump/fly over the top of it...and get eaten. I noticed evidence of digging around the fence and did HC down at the bottom, eventually the predators just started going over the fence to get their meal inside the run, during the day; I lost many to this unfortunately, including two mature roosters.

Final solution: make 2nd run as secure as the main coop structure - hardware cloth anti-dig skirt, hardware cloth lower walls, and overhead protection (chicken wire); nothing has gotten any chickens since completing those. I also don't free-range unless I'm physically present, have had them taken out in the 5min I went to do something on a different area of the yard

 

[Sandracula]

a good Rooster always helps keep a eye on the Ladys

I really wish I could have a rooster but sadly I can’t

Same for me...until I got the chickens

This is definitely my worry, what is going to magically appear in these woods lol. I have less than an acre total and the woods are bordered on two sides by roads near the coop, so it’s not super rural which will probably work in my favor.

 

[Nodakj]

I have been thinking about running my electrified poultry netting through the woods to let them (limited) free range. Still scared of hawks.

 

[Titania207]

the woods around you look like the northeast in which case you definitely have raccoons, foxes, bobcats, fisher cats, maybe bears if you are up north, to name a few. Just because you dont see them doesnt mean they aren't there. Just fyi. In time you will have to put something down in the run as the hens will turn in to solid stone - I put down hay from when i clean their coop, old leaves etc so it has some life to it. They like to kick around in and find bugs or nestle down for a nap. I would net the run because when the leaves drop the hawks can come in from high up and will try even with the overstory. I have an open but netted run and a fox tried to get in this morning so I need to put a top of welded wire on it.