How to build predator resistant run - or am I paranoid?

[laurieb01]

Hi. This is my first post. My husband and I are buying a house that has a coop and chickens. We've wanted chickens for years so YAY! The coop is very basic but appears sturdy. It has a popout, a roosting "ladder" and 3 nest boxes that the hens have never used. They all lay their eggs in one corner of the coop. There seems to be enough ventilation but I am thinking of adding hardware cloth I'm a few places that seem to open yo me after reading about what raccoons and foxes can do.

My main concern is the run. They have been using a Dog kennel for years with no problem but I feel like there are too many big openings and I want to build something more predator proof. I also want to give then hens more room. We are considering just taking the kennel down and selling it on craigslist unless somebody has an idea of how we can incorporate it into a larger safer run. I think it is 6x8x6. Heavy chain link, big gaps underneath and around the door. I know we could put hardware cloth on the bottom but the door gap is what really worries me. I'm thinking it might not be worth the work to use it.

If we get rid of it we are thinking about wrapping the wire fencing around the legs then securing it to the sides of the coop and taking it out from there. I would like to make it as tall as possible so we can have ro to clean out the run. The access door for the coop is in the back so no problem there. Should we use wooden posts or would metal stakes be ok ? We have very large limestone rocks throught the yard so the run will undoubtedly be an odd shape and I'm thinking the metal stakes wouldn't require such wide holes so might make it easier to get them I'm deep.

Hmmm, or would it be ok to just put together a frame of 2x4s and nail in fencing and hardware cloth all around. Kind of like a tractor but with a permanent coop.

We aren't starting this for a few weeks. - still have to move so we have time. Any suggestions will be much aporeciated.

 

[iwiw60]

Your avatar/signature doesn't say what part of the country you're in, but I'll assume you do have predators; i.e., dogs, raccoon, fox, weasel, coyote and hawks. If you truly want it predator proof you'll need to go with 1/2" hardware cloth all around and buried at the bottom perimeter about 10-12" "down and out". Best of luck, I'm sure you'll get a ton of ideas/comments on the subject!

 

[laurieb01]

Thanks. We are in the midAtlantic but up in the Appalachians so we have lots of different predators

 

[jetdog]

I would go with a bigger dog kennel setup, most panels are 6x10 very easy to expand the run if need be, hardware cloth around the bottom and an apron to keep anything from digging in, it is very easy to add a solid roof to keep rain and snow out. My run is a 10x10 dog kennel with suntuff roofing on top and it keeps everything dry and lets me walk in with plenty of headroom.

 

[aart]

Depends on how you manage your flock. If you lock them up every night in the coop your run doesn't need to be as tight. If you're home most the time, your run doesn't need to be as tight. A covered run, either solid or meshed is good against aerial predators but you have to figure in snow loads if you have them.

There's lots of ways to do runs, take the time, and read thru as many posts in the Design and Construction forum as you can. A lot of folks have My Coop pages that show under their avatar, that's another place to look. Find what ideas will work best for your location and resources while you get acclimated to the new land and the chooks and coop/run you are buying.

For my run, I used t posts and metal conduit for rafters covered with 2x4 welded wire fencing that flows out across the ground for an anti dig apron. Will definitely keep out hawks, as shown below, and really slow down most anything else, but is not is totally predator proof. I'm home most the time and lock them in the coop at night, which is totally enclosed in 1/2" hardware cloth and every door has carabinered latches.



This shows the concept of an anti dig apron, it doesn't need to be buried very far, if at all, I can mow right over mine.
Corner piece is out of scale, but you get the idea - don't forget the corners.