Most secure run?

[blucoondawg]

It's a good idea to have 2 people to bend the panel's they're quite stiff.

The tarp is used to keep rain out if your using it as a run only and have a separate coop its not necessary unless you want to provide shade.

I haven't had issues with any predator, a hoop coop is a very strong coop there isn't a dog in earth that could break into one unless it was small enough to get through the squares.

It's not necessary to run a beam down the middle or will stand alone even with snow load in winter if you don't tarp or you won't even have snow load

I'll try to remember to take a picture of mine when I go feed the pigs

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have an 8' x 16' Hoop Coop.  4" x 4" x 16' baseboards on the sides and 2" x 4" x 8' baseboards on the ends.  These are setting on concrete blocks or concrete end caps (I used them to level on a slope) which are setting on buried rabbit fencing.  The length of the coop, like blucoondawg, is arched cattle panels.  I covered my panels in hardware cloth (because I live rural and we have coons, coyotes, etc and while I've all ready shot a lot of them - there's always more to go around).  I used t1-11 plywood to make my end cap walls.  The front half is completely open run and the rear has an elevated coop (~ 2' off the ground so they can have ground access to the entire thing, essentially having an 8' x 16' run.  

The coop is basically the entire rear 8' x 8' but is really around 8' x 6' because I made straight side walls on the coop instead of curved walls so I had to come in about a a foot on each side to fit inside the hoop walls. I basically made a frame that attached to the rear framed plywood and my center post and added plywood walls.  I didn't build a roof for the coop (since I have a heavy duty trucker's tarp (TSC) covering the rear of the entire hoop coop.  I just covered the top of the coop with hardware cloth for ventilation.  I'll add photos soon but basically it's a big box without a roof inside an 8 x 16 hoop coop.  A lot of people just stack straw bales or such to act as a windbreak and that was my original plan as well, but 1.) I had a lot of extra lumber laying around, & 2.) I'm one of those sissy types that worry about my birds so wanted to give them another level of security by adding the coop to help against the elements and predation.  I think that the hay/straw/whatever windbreaks are perfectly fine and would be using it if I didn't have a ton of extra lumber laying around.

That sounds like a great set up! I never even realized you could have a big coop like that with this, I had just heard of people using just the hoop part or of making a small huddle box thing but never realized I could have a "normal" coop. Too bad we bought the wood for ours but that's okay. It will look nice. I'm thinking we will make ours 8x16 too.

It's a good idea to have 2 people to bend the panel's they're quite stiff.

The tarp is used to keep rain out if your using it as a run only and have a separate coop its not necessary unless you want to provide shade.

I haven't had issues with any predator, a hoop coop is a very strong coop there isn't a dog in earth that could break into one unless it was small enough to get through the squares.

It's not necessary to run a beam down the middle or will stand alone even with snow load in winter if you don't tarp or you won't even have snow load

I'll try to remember to take a picture of mine when I go feed the pigs

Should be easy enough to get at least 2 people because we have my dad and I plus we could probably get my brothers to come home.

I might put the tarp over part of it so they can be outside without having to be in the coop on bad weather days.

That's good to know and reassuring that it's strong enough to keep stuff out

I find it so interesting it just can stay up by itself. And you're right about not having no snow load. Forgot about that.

I would love a picture when you get the chance

 

[JackE]

Wood framed hardware cloth covered runs cost a lot for what ends up to be a small space. You could surround a much larger area for less cash with electrified poultry net. My fence(netting) is from Premier. Any ground pred that gets a snootful (Excess of 8000Vs) of this fence, looses all interest in chicken dinner. I had some foxes around here that just about wiped me out. But in the 4yrs I've had this fence up, no losses to a ground based predator.

 

[rottlady]

I'd love to be able to just do electric netting but we have all predators from weasels to bears and the bears took down my neighbors high voltage sheep netting a month ago. We also have all sorts of death from above. A Goshawk pair nest on the property and they took an almost 20lb Mallard drake off our frog pond. Could not carry it off but killed and ate it. We have Goshawks, Red tails and smaller plus 3 kinds of owls of which two are out early and late and the Barred hunts on overcast days too

None of the neighbors who tried free ranging have any chickens left so we have to go with an enclosed mobile coop

 

[JackE]

I'd love to be able to just do electric netting but we have all predators from weasels to bears and the bears took down my neighbors high voltage sheep netting a month ago. We also have all sorts of death from above. A Goshawk pair nest on the property and they took an almost 20lb Mallard drake off our frog pond. Could not carry it off but killed and ate it. We have Goshawks, Red tails and smaller plus 3 kinds of owls of which two are out early and late and the Barred hunts on overcast days too

None of the neighbors who tried free ranging have any chickens left so we have to go with an enclosed mobile coop

Yeah, I have just about every pred, outside of bears around here. Have eagles out in the back marsh behind the property. Never had any problems with them though. Hawks too, Have lost a couple to them. I have provided the chickens with ground cover, and other places to hide. And they are for the most part, tuned in threats from above, but sometimes things happen. I've heard BarredOwls at dusk, and on into the night, but no problems with them (Fingers crossed).

 

[blucoondawg]

I much prefer electric fence to solid fence it's far cheaper especially if you run steel wire rather than buying the netting. Electric fence will deter bears as well but it has to be able to deliver the shock, bears have thick coats so unless they're fur is soaked they need to get the fence on the nose or other bare or lightly covered area. If I had bear problems I'd smear the fence with peanut butter or hang chunks of bacon on the fence to make them taste the fence that will teach them for sure.

 

[blucoondawg]

Here's some pictures not that great we got dumped on again last night with snow this spring has been crap

 

[blucoondawg]

There's a couple more of the inside again not the greatest

 

[yochickiemomma]

This is not the beat pic but I call this run fort knox. since the picture was taken Ive added a steel covered roof. The bottom half is scrap roof steel (Im glad my hubby and dad are into scrapping) buried 12+ in. Top half is recycled chain link. Boards are rough saw hard wood rejects from a local saw mill (free).

 

[JackE]

I much prefer electric fence to solid fence it's far cheaper especially if you run steel wire rather than buying the netting. Electric fence will deter bears as well but it has to be able to deliver the shock, bears have thick coats so unless they're fur is soaked they need to get the fence on the nose or other bare or lightly covered area. If I had bear problems I'd smear the fence with peanut butter or hang chunks of bacon on the fence to make them taste the fence that will teach them for sure.

Yes, the wire is cheaper. But wire alone will not contain the chickens. You would have to have some other kind of fencing, chickenwire, hardware cloth, whatever, to keep the birds contained. My point is, you can surround a much larger area, for less $$$, with poultry net, than building a wood framed hardware clothed fence/run that covers the same footprint. I have no experience with bears. But I've read that they don't like receiving an 8000V blast to the face, anymore than any other animal. I like the idea of "baiting" the fence for improved results.