Topic of the week - Chicken run management

[Nardo]

The fun thing we came up with for our yard is the chicken tubes. I have made tubes out of fencing that are in sections and can be attached together to create all different combinations.



Very cool picture. Are the tubes easily moved by one person or how do you find that part of it working?

 

[sunnypj]

HI, the tubes are really light weight and I have them in different sections and configurations. Some are shorter or longer and I connect them with shower curtain hooks. Those metal roundish things. The sections that stay together permanently are just tied together with nylon kite string wound around them. The sections that are not in use I hang on the backside of the pen on some hooks just to keep them out of the way. I do all of this myself with no help and if I have a really long section that I am just moving across the yard I just drag it or roll it to where I want it.
This is probably the best thing I ever did with the chickens because we enjoy watching them run across the yard in them and they get fresh grass to pick at every day but are still safe from all the other animals. When it is lawn mowing time we just shut the door to the tubes and pick them up... mow and then put down again when we are ready.

Glad you liked the idea

 

[urbanchick1950]

Absolutely genius

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Quote: This is such a gorgeous setup!! I am going to try to do something like this. We just moved and have a lot more area now, but we a in a heavily wooded area, so many more predators. Thanks for posting!

I, too, have a tarp over my run that goes down one wall for winter protection from blowing snow. If you go to my coop and go to the bottom of the article there are pictures of the tarped area. I have had no trouble with rain or snow!

This is also a gorgeous setup. I will definitely try to use some of your ideas too. Removable tarps to prevent chilling winds and blowing snow are a great idea and should be fairly easy to construct.

HI, the tubes are really light weight and I have them in different sections and configurations. Some are shorter or longer and I connect them with shower curtain hooks. Those metal roundish things. The sections that stay together permanently are just tied together with nylon kite string wound around them. The sections that are not in use I hang on the backside of the pen on some hooks just to keep them out of the way. I do all of this myself with no help and if I have a really long section that I am just moving across the yard I just drag it or roll it to where I want it.
This is probably the best thing I ever did with the chickens because we enjoy watching them run across the yard in them and they get fresh grass to pick at every day but are still safe from all the other animals. When it is lawn mowing time we just shut the door to the tubes and pick them up... mow and then put down again when we are ready.

Glad you liked the idea

The tubes are awesome. Thankfully, we not have plenty of grassy area (so far!) for our chickens and turkeys to graze on. HOw do you secure the tubes? Do you just use stakes or pins of some sort? Also, are they just made of 2x4 welded wire that you cut and bend into place? Thanks for the tips!

 

[Blingchix6]

I am currently working on a run for my 12 chickens. It is covered by 2x4 welded wire and I will bury a foot of half inch hardware cloth around the perimeter. The run is 32 feet long and 10 feet wide. They also have access to the fenced in back yard' I'm building the run to protect them from hawks. I was going to use sand as the base in the run, but after seeing a run that had pea gravel as the base, I have decided to use pea gravel, probably about 4-6 inches deep. The ground is heavy clay and it will turn into a mud pit quickly. The coop will still have wood shavings on the floor but the run will be pea gravel.

 

[sunnypj]

Hi, I started out putting tent stakes in the tubes thinking that would secure them but then ended up not using them at all. Since the tubes are all connected and connected to the pen on one end and the chicken tractor on the other there is no place for the tubes to go so no reason to secure them. Once in a while a pile up in the tube occurs if the hens all congregate in one area but they still can't get out so the tubes have been great.
I used fencing that is welded wire... I think they call it rabbit fence in the store. I used the 36" width and just unroll a bit and cut off. The part I cut off I do in the middle of a wire and then wrap the ends around so it is really secure and nothing sticking out to hurt them. Then I have a bunch of these all the same width and connect some in sections of 2, 3,4 tied together by wrapping the nylon thin rope or something like it around the edges keeping the two sections together. (that is the yellow string you see in the pic-I used neon yellow nylon kite rope) Then I can connect these sections using the shower curtain hooks or something else so I can make different configurations. If I want a turn I can do it gradually or I use a section of chicken wire wrapped around the corner to make a bend.

I was afraid I would make these tubes and the chickens wouldn't use them but as soon as I hooked it up they were running through them! I mean RUNNING, so fun to watch.

 

[urbanchick1950]

Are they true tubes? Wire all the way round or arches with open bottoms for grazing?

 

[Coop de Grass]

Our problem is we have no roof structure under the tarp. Because our enclosure is a chain link dog kennel we arent sure how to roof it in a more permanent way. We ARE Late 60'S And I aM Disabled SO We Are Looking For DIY solution.

I have seen tarp type covers for chain link dog kennels. You may find one online!

 

[sunnypj]

Hi, these are true tubes. since they are made with the sturdier rabbit fence the chickens can graze right through it. Regular chicken wire fence is too flimsy to hold it's shape and wouldn't allow the grass to go through it like the rabbit fence. Any droppings fall through when I pick it up to move it each night and just rake those up. ( I wouldn't use this if you have baby chicks that could get through the fence obviously)

 

[sunnypj]

We are thinking the pvc arched roof bracketed to the kennel top rails with tarp roof will be our best option...gotta figure out the details though.

Hi, I used the pvc arched roof for a chicken tractor and then covered that with chicken wire. Put a tarp over half of it for weather coverage and shade. Works great but if you are in a windy area the tarp will start to wear holes in it from rubbing against the pvc pipe. Nothing major but just wanted to make you aware of this.

You could put 2x4's across the top of the kennel (if it isn't too wide) and then lay chicken wire over the top of that. Zip tie the 2x4's to the top rails and then the chicken wire you can just secure the ends to the fencing. Put a tarp on top if you want or only on half. Here in Michigan we have to worry about snow so that makes it a bit more difficult.