Building Run on Slope HELP!!!!!

[4hLuvers]

We are new to the whole chicken thing but found a perfect spot for our new coop/run. the only thing it is on a slope and we are having some trouble dealing with that in our plans to build. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

 

[mtnhomechick]

We built ours on a slope. We attached 4x6 pallets from Sear's and covered them with hardware wire. We anchored them to the ground with stakes and chicken wire to make it predator proof. We ran some 2x16's across the top and attached more hardware wire to cover the top. Once the pallets were all screwed together we could adjust the run and it worked out fine.

Good Luck

 

[patandchickens]

For the coop, build it on posts. The 'crawlspace' underneath will vary in height from one side to the other, and can be left partially or entirely open to the chickens so they can get out of the rain or sun. (It is very important that the run slope downhill AWAY FROM the coop - not just for the above shelter to work, but mostly so that a good gullywasher rain does not cause a poo-laden flood through your coop. Seriously.)

For the run, your two choices are to terrace or not to terrace. Just depends on slope and ambition. Putting down gravel or a heavy gravel-sand mix for run footing will reduce (not eliminate) erosion. Put reasonably tall grade boards all along the bottom of the run fence, to help retain the footing when it tries to wash out; make sure there is coarse gravel drainage below the grade boards so you're not creating a dam

Simplest way to do the run fence on a slope, especially an inconstant slope, is to 'stairstep' the fence from one panel to the next. So instead of a straight line along the top of the fence, it will stairstep down, does that make sense? Other options are possible but get messy, wasteful of fence materials, and less stable, and I really wouldn't recommend 'em.

Any other specific concerns?

Hope that helps some,

Pat

 

[4hLuvers]

Thanks Guys!! The stairstep idea is great! It makes it so much simpler. Now we are wondering if washout isn't a problem, do we need the gradeboard or can we just run wire from the bottom of the panels and burry it? if we don't use a gradeboard could we use some short pressure treated posts and every panel joint?

 

[Omran]

hello,it is really nothard to do it one side has to be a little hire I go about 2" per foot or 1.5" per foot so if it is 10' wide one side will be at least a 1' hire than the other.