thoughts on just using chain link fence for a chicken run?

[LottieLou]

We have used a dog run for the past year, no problems. We buried the large square cinder blocks that look like an eight around the perimeter, put chicken wire from floor up 3ft on the inside, and covered the top with chain link. It is easy to clean being able to stand up in and having a dirt floor. It is also nice to be able to put big stick perches by setting in chain link holes.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: That's a lot of work when simply laying it on top of the ground will serve the same purpose

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

To each their own. Digging critters are a big problem hereabouts, so I've taken to trenching around the run and putting the hogwire down and then filling in. I make an apron of heavy gauge poultry wire and lay that out parallel to the ground and fill in over it. After a year of that design, no critters have made it in - but in years past, when I didnt bury some down, I always seemed to have one or two get in each season.

A lot depends on the local wildlfe pressure I suppose. In this neighborhood we lose chickens to mostly bear and bobcat, but also some to fox, coyote and, of. Course, hawks.

Funny tho, never seen a hawk dig.

 

[Primo]

Yes, I could understand if you are laying down chicken wire as an apron. My dog would eat that for breakfast. Lay down chain link. Predators just don't get the fact that they have to go back two or four feet to start their digging. Now if bears are truly an issue then electric would have to be added as well. Digging wouldn't matter at that point. Tearing apart your run and coup would.

 

[Primo]

To the orginal poster, Chain link for the run is fine, but is not totally secure. Raccoons and possibly possums can easily reach through it and pull the heads right off your chickens. I have seen coons out and about in the early am and evenings. I added 2' of chicken wire to the inside of mine just in case (not as good as hardware cloth but oh well). Just something to think about

 

[Going Quackers]

I have some chain link dog runs here, i just add chicken wire to the first 2/3ft to keep heads from poking through, all birds are in secure housing at night. Does depend on what your dealing with though, here i have a large flock of ducks that free range and my standard chickens do too, so the pens are purely for keeping the smaller bantam birds in and nothing more.

 

[peace7673]

Love this idea, thinking about doing a similar model. What were the dimentions of the dog kennel?
Thanks!!

 

[Anna_new_chicks]

I think it should be fine. if there are little to no predators then your birds will be safe but coyotes can dig under it easily so i would put something down to stop animals from digging under. I just got my chickens a couple of months ago and have not had any problems, even with a lot of coyotes near my house. I lock them in their coop at night which keeps from anything getting them at night, and i have a 100 pound dog who keeps animals away during the day

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I made my run, and built my coop, inside a partially covered chain link dog run. Part of the floor was concrete (with the roof overhead), and we put the coop there. There is a gate between the outer and inner portions of the run, and I added chicken wire all the way around, and an apron in the part that's on dirt, so that nothing can dig under the fence and get in. The part that wasn't covered I put bird netting over the top.

And I just realized I don't have any pics of my coop/run from the side... I'll have to fix that tonight.