building a new run on pre-existing coop

[calibersway]

Hey guys. I am brand new to BackYardChicken Forum. We had a pre-existing shed that the previous owners had added a chicken coop onto, but when we got the house, there was no run, so we built one on, (I will add pics up this weekend), its 10wX15L with PVC pipes in a tic tac toe pattern and supported in the meets with 2x4's, its a covered 4' high 'run'....well we have decided to get some more chickens and I am not satisfied with the current run,and want to make it larger, but I am kind of at a stall at how to 'add' onto it in the same manner we did it before,

SO. the question....I am looking for some idea's on how you guy's fixed your runs, I'm not looking for a tall run, and maybe pics to go by of wooden framed runs, i seen some on the contest page, but i got confused by the all the kinds, especially since i'm just looking for a run idea.

also, what is the best size/gauge of wire? just the simple classic 1" hex chicken wire? as well, whats thoughts of open versus covered runs? We do have cats, so thus why i am leaning toward covered, probably more for the cats' protection than the chickens but still. lol.

Much appreciated fellow chickeners.

 

[chickaddict]

My girls freerange, but if your building a run I would cover it. I don't know what state you are in, but in CT hawks love to dine on chickens. good luck

 

[xtremevermonter]

I too have converted an old shed/playhouse into a coop. I used 1" hex chicken wire framed out in 2x4s. I covered the 4' high run with the same wire (mostly to keep out avian predators such as hawks). I also buried wire 1' deep around the entire perimeter and crushed up glass bottles and threw the shards at the bottom to help deter determined diggers.

However, having a 4' tall run covered may make it difficult for you to enter the run and clean, etc. so that is another consideration.

 

[xtremevermonter]

Excuse my double post....

I just found a thread about cleaning/designing low-profile runs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=178316

 

[calibersway]

Yes thank you guys. I've been searching around on here for ideas. I'm thinking this go round i am going to frame it out and make it tall enough for me to walk through all of it, i'm adding onto the shed and connecting it to the old carport building, that used to be a mechanic shop but we don't use, we've put in a split wall, because i do use the front half for my dogs' kennel area, but the back half is just 30 feet from coop, and so thats what we're doing, we're making a larger coop out of the half carport, and connecting the two, i'm debating possibly keeping them seperated, but fencing them connected, and keeping two seperate flocks. This shall be interesting.... and it shouldn't be to horrible to accomplish the height difference, we do have hawks here, and as well some of my chickens can jump/try to fly pretty darn high even when i did try the wing clipping thing last year. lol.

 

[RendonRoo]

Don't forget that chicken wire is to keep chickens in. Predators can tear it up when they are hungry. I added 2x4 welded wire to the chicken wire to keep dogs etc. from getting in. Good Luck

 

[Sillystunt]

We also have a old shed we converted. We put it in our pen but the chickens always get out!! Kinda sick of the poop and them eating my plants. I am begging my husband to put a run attached to the shed so they won't get out.

Would love to see some pic's!!!!!!

 

[calibersway]

Silly, yeah i could imagine, i have some young chicks 6-7 weeks old, that every time i open the door to the 'baby coop' and come hauling tail out, or find a hole where my 4yr old daughter didn't pu the boards back on the fence to hold it down, and they get all over, and I have not YET had any of them go into the dog fence or have the cat's decided 'Oh yummy chicken!!!' and eat them, but its going to happen if i don't finish the new large coop and run in the next week or two. X.x


but the existing coop and run, was very easy and inexpensive, and my camera i have on me at moment has died, but I have to track down my teenage cousin and retrieve my other one from her, and when i do i shall post of pics. its very barbaric looking but hey it works!

 

[Sillystunt]

lol, i hear ya! Mine are older now and they POOP everywhere. My duck is the worst! I spent 80 bucks on flowers....GONE!

Don't get me wrong i love them but

My birthday is tomorrow and i just keep hinting on my present....a run!

 

[calibersway]

wow...that so sucks. I wouldn't be hinting i'd be hitting with a frying pan "A RUN A RUN A RUN" maybe then he'd get the idea?