How to make a chicken run without real tools.
Last year I decided to make our old pop up gazebo / party tent of 3x3 meters into a extra run for my chickens.
This is how I started:
+ hardware cloth (hwc), recommended 1 meter high, 1,25 cm ( ½”) maze.
+ a large mash panel a door (80cm x 1 meter with 5cm maze).
+ strong netting meant for a cage for birds of prey (4 cm maze) .
Tools:
Because the chickens already have a small covered run, the run is only used during the day.
How it is made
Frame
I used the frame of an old party tent. First I glued the parts together and painted it dark grey. Then put HWC around it . The hwc is 12,5 x 12,5 mm , 1 meter high on most sides and 50 cm high on one side were we want to make an opening. We intend to dig 30 cm hwc in the ground against digging predators.
Warning
After 10 years the hwc in the ground rusted completely. Leaving sharp pins from the hwc on the ground surface. We had to fix this and this wasnt an easy job. Therefore I recommend not to use the thin 1,25 or ½” in the ground! Better use thicker steel wire flat on the ground and lay paving stones all around.
Netting and hardware cloth
We put strong netting above the hwc.
The netting was ordered online in the right size for my needs. 1 m high and 6 m wide for two sides, one side has to come on top of the coop and was 70 cm high and 3 m wide. And one side is covered with panels (5x5 cm openings) above 50 cm hwc to make a entry in the coop.
At the entrance I used 50 cm hwc, 25 cm (0.7ft) went into the Ground. This way its easy to step over the mesh into the run.
The panels and strong netting are attached to the frame with nylon rope. You do need many meters/yards (aprox. 100 meters) to attach all the mesh and netting. This is where you need the scissors. To cut the rope. A lighter can be handy too to prevent the rope fraying.
If you like a covered run you can use the cover of the party tent. I have stong netting (3,25 x 3,25 m) on top. Keeping the cover on can be a problem with hard winds or storm. In climates with heavy snow this construction is probably too slim to hold if snow builds up on the netting.
We put the party run (with the hwc) 25 cm deep in the ground against foxes and other preditors. The netting on top is to prevent the dutch to fly out and to protect them against hawks and such. The size of the openings is 4x4 cm. Only small birds come in to eat from the grains.
My 6 Small Dutch bantams are pleased with it.
Long term use /changes
I’m using this party run for 10+ years now. I did have problems with rats from the start, chewing on the netting just above the hardware cloth up to 50 cm above ground level. For that reason I made some adjustments with extra hwc.
I made a chicken guard between the coop/small run and this party run to keep the chickens safe in the night but not cooped up after sunrise when there is no risk for marters and such anymore.
Because I have more chickens now and wanted extra space for a broody, I build an extra 6m2 run behind it. Made from wood and hwc on the sides, cat netting on top behind this one.
We did not have any trouble with pedators for a long time. Even with all the foxes in this area. Finally in 2021 a fox came through after chewing the tension wire. This fox must have taken some time to do so. Luckily I heard the chickens scream and there was only one casualty. The fox panicked. We never saw him again. We made more HWC on alle spots we didn't trust anymore. The run is still functioning as a daytime run.
^^ The party run after 8 years (2023) with one of the neighbours cat.
^^ Inside the run. In the photo, 2 black Dutch and my bantam RIR on the daytime roost. I planted 2 berry bushes and a Portuguese laurel in it that need pruning. Under the window is a sand-bath area.
10+ years later
As mentioned above the thin hwc in the ground vanished after 10 years. Better not dig it vertically in the ground in one piece as I did.
I recommend to make the hardware cloth up to 1 meter (3.5’ foot) high above ground level or more. Ad another thicker hwc flat on the ground or use pavers to prevent digging predators to enter the run.
I removed the hwc with the sharp endpoints in between the two connected runs. So now there is no longer a separate run. On the south-side with the opening we added thicker hwc from the inside. The north-side is less wet and still intact after 10 years.
Last year I decided to make our old pop up gazebo / party tent of 3x3 meters into a extra run for my chickens.
This is how I started:
+ hardware cloth (hwc), recommended 1 meter high, 1,25 cm ( ½”) maze.
+ a large mash panel a door (80cm x 1 meter with 5cm maze).
+ strong netting meant for a cage for birds of prey (4 cm maze) .
Tools:
- a pair of scissors or a knive to cut the rope.
- glue
- spade
Because the chickens already have a small covered run, the run is only used during the day.
How it is made
Frame
I used the frame of an old party tent. First I glued the parts together and painted it dark grey. Then put HWC around it . The hwc is 12,5 x 12,5 mm , 1 meter high on most sides and 50 cm high on one side were we want to make an opening. We intend to dig 30 cm hwc in the ground against digging predators.
Warning
After 10 years the hwc in the ground rusted completely. Leaving sharp pins from the hwc on the ground surface. We had to fix this and this wasnt an easy job. Therefore I recommend not to use the thin 1,25 or ½” in the ground! Better use thicker steel wire flat on the ground and lay paving stones all around.
Netting and hardware cloth
We put strong netting above the hwc.
The netting was ordered online in the right size for my needs. 1 m high and 6 m wide for two sides, one side has to come on top of the coop and was 70 cm high and 3 m wide. And one side is covered with panels (5x5 cm openings) above 50 cm hwc to make a entry in the coop.
At the entrance I used 50 cm hwc, 25 cm (0.7ft) went into the Ground. This way its easy to step over the mesh into the run.
The panels and strong netting are attached to the frame with nylon rope. You do need many meters/yards (aprox. 100 meters) to attach all the mesh and netting. This is where you need the scissors. To cut the rope. A lighter can be handy too to prevent the rope fraying.
If you like a covered run you can use the cover of the party tent. I have stong netting (3,25 x 3,25 m) on top. Keeping the cover on can be a problem with hard winds or storm. In climates with heavy snow this construction is probably too slim to hold if snow builds up on the netting.
We put the party run (with the hwc) 25 cm deep in the ground against foxes and other preditors. The netting on top is to prevent the dutch to fly out and to protect them against hawks and such. The size of the openings is 4x4 cm. Only small birds come in to eat from the grains.
My 6 Small Dutch bantams are pleased with it.
Long term use /changes
I’m using this party run for 10+ years now. I did have problems with rats from the start, chewing on the netting just above the hardware cloth up to 50 cm above ground level. For that reason I made some adjustments with extra hwc.
I made a chicken guard between the coop/small run and this party run to keep the chickens safe in the night but not cooped up after sunrise when there is no risk for marters and such anymore.
Because I have more chickens now and wanted extra space for a broody, I build an extra 6m2 run behind it. Made from wood and hwc on the sides, cat netting on top behind this one.
We did not have any trouble with pedators for a long time. Even with all the foxes in this area. Finally in 2021 a fox came through after chewing the tension wire. This fox must have taken some time to do so. Luckily I heard the chickens scream and there was only one casualty. The fox panicked. We never saw him again. We made more HWC on alle spots we didn't trust anymore. The run is still functioning as a daytime run.
^^ Inside the run. In the photo, 2 black Dutch and my bantam RIR on the daytime roost. I planted 2 berry bushes and a Portuguese laurel in it that need pruning. Under the window is a sand-bath area.
10+ years later
As mentioned above the thin hwc in the ground vanished after 10 years. Better not dig it vertically in the ground in one piece as I did.
I recommend to make the hardware cloth up to 1 meter (3.5’ foot) high above ground level or more. Ad another thicker hwc flat on the ground or use pavers to prevent digging predators to enter the run.
I removed the hwc with the sharp endpoints in between the two connected runs. So now there is no longer a separate run. On the south-side with the opening we added thicker hwc from the inside. The north-side is less wet and still intact after 10 years.
