Ideas for big predator proof run?

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

About to move to a new place and I’ve been building a new coop in the garage to prep. We currently have an adequate size coop and run for the 6 hens we have, but the run definitely feels small to me for full time. I let them into a janky extended space that’s covered when I’m home but really want a big secure run at this new place. So many hawks in the area and I can’t wait to not worry about them all the time. I know how to predator proof well, just need some inspiration for general design.

I’d love to see ideas for a big secure run if anyone has one they love or wish they had!

 

[rosemarythyme]

How big is big to you?

Some great "frames" to start with would be dog kennels or carports (I really want to use a carport next time), which would make for pretty large runs without having to build completely from scratch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, how big is "big" for you. And where are you located? The concern here is roof load, are you going to get a lot of ice or snow where the weight can break it down? If leaves pile up on it from trees it can get pretty heavy, especially if it rains and they get wet. This can happen with a wire mesh roof, snow, ice, and leaves can build up. If you put a solid roof on it it needs to slope enough that rainwater slides off. You need to be able to stand up in there to work. You probably knew this but I'll repeat it anyway.

To me one big issue is how wide an area are you trying to span. The wider that span the heavier the bracing across it has to be, either to support its own weight, snow, ice, or leaves, or even wind. If you just span it with wire the longer the span the more it sags, even without snow load.

Not totally sure what you mean by secure. Chain link, say dog kennels, are used a lot but snakes, mice, rats, and weasels can get through those openings. And watch gates and corners, you can get some pretty big openings there if you are not careful.

As far as how to build it there are all kinds of ways. I think Rosemary has some good ideas. You can build it on posts or using a foundation that won't rot. like concrete or cinder bocks and build it like you would a shed, just use wire for the walls instead of panels.

I don't have any good photos that show what I did to build my 12' x 32' run. I sank some treated posts into the ground and put cross braces at the top. I needed more slope. My roof, both metal and the 2x6 cross braces came from when a straight line wind blew the roof off of this shed so I had a lot of spare materials. The top opening between the coop (which is the end of shed) and the covered run has wire over it. I used 2" x 4" welded wire fencing to form the walls of the run. It has smaller mesh chicken wire on the bottom 18", mainly to keep baby chicks from getting outside. I used leftover hardwire cloth or 2x4 welded wire to make anti-dig aprons. I bought the posts and the wire. Most of the rest was cobbled together from scrap and leftovers.

 

[Windrider]

I think many here on BYC would agree that DobieLover has set something of a gold standard for "large predator proof run." I mean, the whole coop build is so well thought out and amazing, but I've linked here to the run build:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/page/run-construction.41/

Scroll down for the "big run" part, since the first part is about the integration/chick run. Note that many people with a predator proof run like this still allow chickens to roam a larger area during the day or under supervision that is less predator proof.

 

[Tervuren]

You could try a cattle panel hoop run. Mine isn’t that big, the coop and run together is 8ft by 12ft. I have 6 hens as well, they seem happy with that amount of space, though I do have to say if my yard was bigger I would add on to it. The nice thing about the cattle panel style is you can just keep adding on in length as long as you have room. If 8ft wide is big enough for you it might be worth looking into? I’ve covered the whole thing in hardware cloth and done a hardware cloth apron all the way around. And so far so good! I did realize recently that some funny sounds I heard at night this last summer were very likely raccoons, so it appears to be raccoon proof! And it is cat proof lol, I had an obnoxious neighborhood cat try to get in. Also it is a good to add enrichment activities! You can just shove branches into the wire for the chickens to work on.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wanted to use a metal, one-car carport that came with our property as a chicken coop but my sister-in-law (with whom we share the property), insisted on parking her car in it.

Sometimes people sell these cheap on Craigslist to get rid of them -- especially if they have cosmetic challenges or leaky roofs. A few leaks in the roof over a chicken run aren't a problem.

 

[saracarver3]

Following

 

[BigTex19]

How big is big to you?

Some great "frames" to start with would be dog kennels or carports (I really want to use a carport next time), which would make for pretty large runs without having to build completely from scratch.

My run for my chickens and ducks is 150 feet long by 70 ft wide. The top is covered by deer netting to keep the hawks out (we have some big red tailed here). I need big because I have 20 chickens and 9 ducks. I want to make it bigger next year.

 

[Araucana1]

Yes, how big is "big" for you. And where are you located? The concern here is roof load, are you going to get a lot of ice or snow where the weight can break it down? If leaves pile up on it from trees it can get pretty heavy, especially if it rains and they get wet. This can happen with a wire mesh roof, snow, ice, and leaves can build up. If you put a solid roof on it it needs to slope enough that rainwater slides off. You need to be able to stand up in there to work. You probably knew this but I'll repeat it anyway.

To me one big issue is how wide an area are you trying to span. The wider that span the heavier the bracing across it has to be, either to support its own weight, snow, ice, or leaves, or even wind. If you just span it with wire the longer the span the more it sags, even without snow load.

Not totally sure what you mean by secure. Chain link, say dog kennels, are used a lot but snakes, mice, rats, and weasels can get through those openings. And watch gates and corners, you can get some pretty big openings there if you are not careful.

As far as how to build it there are all kinds of ways. I think Rosemary has some good ideas. You can build it on posts or using a foundation that won't rot. like concrete or cinder bocks and build it like you would a shed, just use wire for the walls instead of panels.

I don't have any good photos that show what I did to build my 12' x 32' run. I sank some treated posts into the ground and put cross braces at the top. I needed more slope. My roof, both metal and the 2x6 cross braces came from when a straight line wind blew the roof off of this shed so I had a lot of spare materials. The top opening between the coop (which is the end of shed) and the covered run has wire over it. I used 2" x 4" welded wire fencing to form the walls of the run. It has smaller mesh chicken wire on the bottom 18", mainly to keep baby chicks from getting outside. I used leftover hardwire cloth or 2x4 welded wire to make anti-dig aprons. I bought the posts and the wire. Most of the rest was cobbled together from scrap and leftovers.

View attachment 2925785

How would 2 x 4 welded wire keep
out predators such as , minks, weasles or rats ?

 

[rosemarythyme]

How would 2 x 4 welded wire keep
out predators such as , minks, weasles or rats ?

It doesn't. Needs reinforcement with smaller opening wire like hardware cloth.

Some of us don't have fully predator/pest proof runs, more like "predator resistant." For example mine is chain link with hardware cloth up the bottom few feet and aproned out a few feet, netting over top for aerial predators.