10x10 run plans?

[rosemarythyme]

We used an old/free carport frame for the run frame. We then attached chainlink around the frame. Above the chainlink (space between the chain link and the roof) is wire. We then put purlins on, and topped with metal roofing. We have to have a roof with slope to shed the snow load.

A carport is a great option for a roofed run, as it gives you a basic structure to work with. Free is even better!

We have resisted the netting. But I now see this picture and think maybe, we could restructure the less secure run to include a net to prevent the hawks from attacking. Not that it is a guarantee, but could slow them down.

Sturdy netting definitely works for birds of prey and we did see a hawk come in, spot it at the last moment and swoop off (so so far no actual "test" as to bouncing a bird off of it). Against other predators, "slowing them down" is about as good as I could hope for - if the birds have time to scream then I have time to throw our three dogs to chase off whatever is out there.

 

[Alex S]

So believe it or not my family now wants to shrink the size of coop I'm going to build... here's the plans we settled on... https://steamykitchen.com/20640-the-palace-chicken-coop.html

I will alter it a bit

 

[Stephanie8806]

So believe it or not my family now wants to shrink the size of coop I'm going to build... here's the plans we settled on... https://steamykitchen.com/20640-the-palace-chicken-coop.html

I will alter it a bit

That coop is beautiful, and I’m sure it will be quite well protected! But are you still planning on housing 10 chickens in there full time?

 

[Alex S]

That coop is beautiful, and I’m sure it will be quite well protected! But are you still planning on housing 10 chickens in there full time?

No it says the capacity is 5-7 so I will respect that

 

[littledog]

I started out with a freebie Craigslist doghouse, inside of a $125 Craigslist 12' x 7' chainlink dog kennel, for 3 hens. I modified the doghouse to add two nest boxes on the back, and a better roof, that could lift off for cleaning.
To make the the chainlink kennel more predator-resistant, I surrounded it with 4' hardware cloth, bent at 90 degrees so that it went 30 " up the sides and 18" out from the sides along the ground on the outside. I put cinder blocks all around the outside to hold down the layer of hardware cloth that was sitting on the ground. Above the hardware cloth that went up the sides, I attached chicken wire around the sides and over the top.

Sorry this picture looks so junky. We'd already started building a bigger chicken yard attached to it, but you can see the basic modified dog house and modified kennel.

Chicken Math happened - we adopted a rooster, then our neighbors moved and left us their chickens.

This is looking at the same chainlink kennel from the opposite side. Using 10-gauge wire, we attached a 4"x6" along the top left wall, a 4"x4" along the middle, and a 2"x4" along the right side. This created a sloping surface, where we attached the green PVC roofing.
You can see where we were starting to build the new. bigger yard, by installing 4"x4" posts and white boards between each post, attached by metal framer brackets. You can also see the new gate, "Dutch door" style, made out of freebie pallets with hardware cloth attached.

Our neighbors who moved away and asked us to adopt their chickens had this awesome waterer made out of PVC and 4 chicken nipples spaced along the bottom pipe. You can also see how the new yard is constructed, with poultry wire surrounding all sides, plus 4' hardware cloth going up from the ground 30" and extending out along the ground from the bottom 18*. Then welded wire going up the sides from where the hardware cloth ends, to the boards attached along the top.

On the left third near the top of this picture, you can see the edge of the green PVC roof where it empties into a black gutter, to direct rainwater into the red and white barrel. The posts in the middle of the yard hold up white PVC trusses, which support poultry wire covering the whole yard, to keep them safe from hawks and owls.In the foreground, you can see how we attached the lower hardware cloth and upper welded wire on the outside of the poultry wire, using screws and washers.
The footing in the run is a thick layer of free wood chips, courtesy of Chip Drop, plus various logs and branches I salvaged from downed trees nearby our property.
All told, this whole setup which is now suitable for about 40 chickens, cost us between $1000-1500. The most expensive items were the 100' of 4' hardware cloth, other rolls of wire, and the various deck screws, washers, and gate hinges and hardware.

 

[Stephanie8806]

No it says the capacity is 5-7 so I will respect that

okie dokie! It may turn out fine, but make sure you and your family have a plan in place in case it turns out to not be enough space! Be it extending the run or maybe reducing the number of chickens. You’ll be able to tell if it’s not enough space because your chickens would start pecking at each other and pulling each other’s feathers out. Those issues would likely not start to arise until around 5-7 months of age, once they start laying and get their sassy pants.

It’s a good thing to keep in mind that 3-4 feet of coop space and 10 feet of run space per bird are generally minimum recommended allowances If your heart is not completely set on chickens, you could always raise quail in this setup, as they do very well in confinement and need far less space(so you could get more)! Plus, quail start laying much earlier, by 8 weeks old, so you’d get eggs faster! Just an idea

 

[PapaRo]

If a chicken is open to free range a large property each day, all day, then I worry mostly about providing at least 10 linear inches of roosting bar per bird in their nightly enclosure.