Best material for a chicken run

[Dragron_ heart]

When my dad and I had chickens we just used standard chicken wire for the run which is very hard to work with and seems to rust away to dust in a relatively short time. I'm thinking of rebuilding the run that was attached to a solidly built coop that could hold 70 chickens, if I can rodent proof the coop.. What is everyone using for an approximately 20 x 20 run.

 

[slippednfell]

6' high dog kennel panels. Can get a 10x10 set up for about $200.00. I've bought several sets used to make ours.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I used chain link and wood posts for my 16x23 run. I did use chain link too tail and secured that to the wood posts. The bottom has 2x8's and sandwiches the chain link using 2x2's.

Rodent proof? Not hardly.

 

[orrpeople]

We used 8' T-posts, welded wire, and 4' hardware cloth dug into the ground about a foot (slightly apron bent at the bottom), and wood-framed doors with more hardware cloth poultry stapled to those. I also poured concrete footings for the door frames to keep varmints from digging underneath. We covered the tops of the coops w welded wire also. It's been a good system.

This is a "sorta" pic of the door frame and the hardware cloth around the base.

 

[so lucky]

We used 1x2 welded wire stapled to 2x4 treated wood. Not rodent proof, but dog and other predator proof, pretty much, anyway.

 

[DobieLover]

1/2" HC attached to PT 4x4 posts on concrete piers, solid roof, predator apron extends out 18 - 24". All contained inside about 1/3 acre electronetted pen. Rodent and everything else proof.
The run is 28'x12' with a 16'x4' extension along the back of the coop that houses a dust bath and a run for the built-in brooder.

 

[goldysgirl]

Just a warning about chain link...my pen is chain link and I lost 2 birds to predators through the chain link on the same night. 1 was decapitated and the other had its head pulled through the fence. I added welded wire around the bottom and that stopped the birds from sticking their heads through to get grass. This year I put bantams in the pen and added an extra layer of mesh pvc garden fencing to keep the little birds contained as they could still slip through welded wire.

 

[slippednfell]

Just a warning about chain link...my pen is chain link and I lost 2 birds to predators through the chain link on the same night. 1 was decapitated and the other had its head pulled through the fence. I added welded wire around the bottom and that stopped the birds from sticking their heads through to get grass. This year I put bantams in the pen and added an extra layer of mesh pvc garden fencing to keep the little birds contained as they could still slip through welded wire.

We use the run during the day time and they are cooped up at night. Still not totally secure from predators but less likely to see them during the day time than at night.

 

[Compost King]

I just use cheap bird netting, Predators during the day are not an issue I just need chicken containment. I also use Bamboo (because its free) and other things. I use Pallets to make stable corners and Bamboo to frame the cheap bird netting. I have used Chicken wire and welded wire fencing too if I have it left over from other projects. As far as making a run I use the cheapest or most available material that will contain chickens. its not always pretty but my back yard has privacy hedges so I have no one to impress.