Topic of the week - Chicken run management

[rossco17]

This is so cool. I want to do this. Is it possible to roll the welded wire the long ways to create sections longer than 4 feet? Also, when you roll it into a tube, how do you attach it to itself to keep the tube shape?

 

[Piton]

If possibe try a chicken tractor.
youtube chicken tractor

 

[Furryposm]

Do you just have these all over yard? And then connected to a run or coop? Either way I think it's awesome!

 

[KeriannG]

Hi - I think you could try it the long way and just bend it into a roll shape. I did the short way using the natural roll of the packaged wire, if you know what I mean. I used zip ties to hold the roll pieces together and also to connect the individual pieces together. Hope this helps.

 

[KeriannG]

I have them connected to my run with a small access door that I can close off as necessary.

 

[Furryposm]

Very cool! I'm starting to breed ayam cemani and want them to free range, but they are so small and can fly easy. That is perfect solution!!

Thanks

 

[Owl Lady]

I have 21 chickens - I can't let them free range due to an abundance of hawks in our rural area! Our coop is 8' x 12' all openings are covered with 1" x 1" hardware cloth for predator protection. I use pine flakes on the floor and I have sand filled pans under the roost to catch droppings - I scoop the pans every day and also rake any droppings that may be on the coop floor. I keep herbs and dried flowers in sachet bags hanging on the walls and also sprinkled in the nest boxes to ward away insects and it also gives it a nice smell - I sprinkle Sweet PDZ on the floor and in the roost pans. I also sprinkle Diatemaceous earth in the nest boxes and the floor of the coop for mite, flea, tick and all insect prevention.
We built a 12' x 24' run with a metal roof it is enclosed with small openings hardware wire and has a concrete footer 6" x 8" all around the coop and run. The floor is sand and dirt, my husband and I rake the droppings in the run every single day and put it in our compost pile. We spend around 30 minutes everyday cleaning the coop and run so it never gets messy or unhealthy for our chickens. We both love to spend time watching and petting our flock, they are so entertaining and they love the attention and petting. We built them swings and a roost and put in a mirror so they don't get bored!

 

[HeadChick2014]

How to prediter proof the Chicken run ? Since we live in the Pacific Northwest , we put netting Over the top of the chicken coop , & the whole encloser , as we have 3 kinds of Owls , Eagles , & 2 kinds of Hawks , plus we have cyotes as well ! Since we have Molly our Boarder Collie , she does a pretty good job of Keeping the cyotes away , when the chickens are let out of the chicken coop encloser , to get a much needed Dirt & Sawdust Bath , in my husbands
Sawmill carport ! As we are in the process of Having 80 ft. to 200 ft. Huge Douglas Firs taken down , Due to a 35 K + , 175 ft. Douglas Fir went Trough our
Living rm. & Bdrm. Roof , & did about $98 K worth of damage to our Hse. ... Being proactive !! What do I put in the run ? Since we have a Huge Sequioa ,
( type of Red Ceder ) and a Magnolia tree next to it , which drops its leaves , every fall , I rake that stuff up into a wheel barrow , & put about 6 - 8 w.b.loads onto
The ground , when they are not let out of the chain link fenced run , for thier Safety ! As it contains worms & other tastey Bugs ! Plus , it Keeps them off of the
Wet & Mucky ground !! As we have had record Rain fall , 8 + in. thus far , for Oct.
Plus , since I work from home , as a proffessional glass artist , with a Studio , I make time to go into the enclosed run , & scoop out the chick. Pooh periodically
Troughout the day , with a Hoe ! Hope this answers All of the questions ... Aloha & Mahalo ! Sherren & Molly & Crew ( Sherren's Glassworks )
Whidbey Island , WA. 98236.

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[knwisdom]

I have 7 girls right now and my run is 8ft x 12 ft with 8 ft walls completely roofed. It is actually built into a slope so 2 sides have 3 1/2 ft concrete block retaining walls which I have covered with corrugated metal for aesthetics. One side is attached the the coop which has a solid concrete floor and automated pop door. The remaining side, with the run door, is built on concrete blocks buried 1 ft down with hardware cloth buried 2 ft out so no one should be able to dig in on any side.

The framing is all pressure treated and I have used 1/2" mesh hardware cloth to enclose the run. I covered all the edges with trim boards so that raccoons could not pull at the edges. The roof runs the length of the coop and run and is plywood with full metal roofing just like a house would have. It may be a little over kill but in Montana we have neighborhood dogs, bears, mountain lions, foxes, raccoons and who knows what else.

In the run, I set up a nipple waterer attached to a rain barrel and have a large feeder on the wall attached to the coop. I placed pine branches, which we have plenty of, in the corner for roosting. The floor is covered in washed sand from our local quarry. I love, love, love the sand, it is so easy to clean up, doesn't smell and the girls love to bury themselves when its hot out. In their favorite corner I add Diatomacious Earth to the sand. For winter I am placing panels covered in clear plastic sheeting to the keep rain and snow from blowing in and getting the sand wet. During summer I used shade cloth on the sunny sides to keep it cooler.

Outside of the run i also have a fully enclosed garden area, though it is not predator proof. More aimed at keeping the deer out. But I do let them run out there during most days. I will try to get some better pics today. These are from early on in construction. Its prettier now.

 

[birdlover]

I only have 2 hens which makes all chores a fraction of the work others with bigger flocks have. I don't add anything on top of the bare ground and it works fine. I use a broom and "stand up" dust pan to sweep up their poops and, again, it works great! For the runny poops I dig under them a bit with the edge of the dust pan to loosen and voila!...the brooms sweeps them into the dust pan.