Chain Link Dog Kennel to Ft Knox Covered Open-Air Coop/Run Combo - Build Suggestions?

[trdamsdel]

They sell a roof kit at tsc, it closes it right up. Won't hold snow.


Wrap the chicken wire under the bottom of the frame and all the way up to the peak of the roof structure.


Make an overlap at the bottom of the door



Run an electric fence around the perimeter and about 4 inches off the ground, 2 inches from the kennel. Run the ground wire from the fencer straight to the kennel. Trust me bro





Security camera with alert to your phone and a .22 rifle.


I had something like that set up and guess how many birds I lost to predators...

 

[Hypacha]

Folks, the search function on this site is failing me. Most of what I can find folks using chain link dog kennels for is moderate security daytime runs. Which is great, but I need to build a top security, fully predator proof Ft. Knox open air covered coop/run. I'm having trouble finding builds and good suggestions and deciding what to do about the following. Can you guys help me?

1) the roof - really stressing this one - need an angled roof of some type across a 10 ft span, and can't decide if having one side of the roof elevated by two feet is the way to go, or if I should run a center beam. Also, do I need to put concrete and 4"x4" fenceposts to support my roof, or can I use 2"x4" lumber to frame it out, or chain link top rail? Money and equipment is an issue. I think I have to run some wood around the bottom to secure the chain link to the bottom rail and to the hardware cloth, but that would be on the outside of the run. I plan to run hardware cloth over all sides and top of the coop/run, and put up a transparent tarp for rain and wild bird poop protection, so the weight of rain is mainly what the roof will see. We get snow maybe two days a year, a couple inches, so that's not an issue.

2) predator proofing all areas (doors, roof, ground) - why the heck anyone would build round edges and doorways I will never understand. So much more of a pain to reduce the opening size to 1/2" or less, and I'm looking for a good way to do that.

Attachment suggestions for 3) securing the chain link to the top and bottom rails - it's pretty floppy at the moment. All I could think was chain link metal fence ties, but that would be super expensive because of the quantity and a pain to secure every single square. Do they sell that wire by the roll? How far apart can the ties be before a predator can push under the chain link fabric? My 3 ft apron will be secured to the base of the coop (probably to 2x4s like I did for my previous coop) and to the ground with a multitude of yard staples.

Attachment suggestions for 4) securing the hardware cloth to the chain link. I have hog ties available (hated them last time, but maybe attaching to chain link is easier?) and metal zip ties. Also screws and 1" washers. I have maybe 12 2"x4" that are 8 ft long, and maybe 10 that are 10 ft long. I have ordered all the needed hardware cloth in 6ft height for the sides and roof, and 3ft height for the apron.

Current setup is 10ft by 30ft with a door on the north end and south east side. Each chain link panel has rounded corners at the top and is 10ft x 6ft and very light-weight. Tractor supply sells these panels. There's a foot difference in height midway through the east wall, I had to dig a trench and push the fence panel into it in order to get the fence panel to sit flat on the ground.

My previous open air coop/run is here. This one is pretty different on the sides and roof, so I'm struggling a bit.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/have-the-chickens-now-i-need-a-coop-please-help.1519455/

I want to use this coop to grow out the 24 colored eggers in the incubator, and then for some meat birds, so predator protection is key. Hatch date is in 9 days, so the clock is ticking.... I am super excited for my first hatch, but stressing about this coop. Any help you guys can give would be appreciated!!!

That is exactly what I did and use for 2 years with a good solid roof on it that I could get on top off safely. Recently however I learned a difficult lesson. My chickens were killed by weasels. Weasels have no problem getting through chain link fencing and once they find you, that's it! Wrap it in Chicken Wire if you do it. I think weasels are in most of the country but if you're curious look up your area.

 

[Hypacha]

Here are some photos of our chain link dog kennel chicken coop. The green shade cloth in the first photo faces east. All three sides of the top half of the back of the coop is covered with vinyl siding that I got at a yard sale.

This photo shows the kennel ceiling covered with hardware cloth and a heavy duty tarp. We used natural branches for perches on this side of the coop.

We used an old ladder in this part of the coop to support the perches.

Here it is from the inside facing east. We keep this shade cloth up year round to protect from the early morning sun. In the winter we add a tarp over the shade cloth which we open during the day.

And here is the finisshed coop. Each chain link panel is covered in hardware cloth as well as the ceiling. There is a predator proof hardware cloth apron around the pereimeter of the coop.

LOL. I even have the same Tractor Supply coop inside mine. Exactly, my set up but as I said above, Chain Link isn't safe against weasels.

 

[FunClucks]

That is exactly what I did and use for 2 years with a good solid roof on it that I could get on top off safely. Recently however I learned a difficult lesson. My chickens were killed by weasels. Weasels have no problem getting through chain link fencing and once they find you, that's it! Wrap it in Chicken Wire if you do it. I think weasels are in most of the country but if you're curious look up your area.

I don't (and don't plan) to have an actual coop, so I am super aware of making sure there's no opening greater than half an inch anywhere around the run, and I'm putting the 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere.

I have all the predators. Probably weasels and minks, and who knows what else. Thank you for the warning.

At this point, unless something tunnels under the three feet apron, I think my chickens will be okay.

 

[FunClucks]

Here are some photos of our chain link dog kennel chicken coop. The green shade cloth in the first photo faces east. All three sides of the top half of the back of the coop is covered with vinyl siding that I got at a yard sale.

This photo shows the kennel ceiling covered with hardware cloth and a heavy duty tarp. We used natural branches for perches on this side of the coop.

We used an old ladder in this part of the coop to support the perches.

Here it is from the inside facing east. We keep this shade cloth up year round to protect from the early morning sun. In the winter we add a tarp over the shade cloth which we open during the day.

And here is the finisshed coop. Each chain link panel is covered in hardware cloth as well as the ceiling. There is a predator proof hardware cloth apron around the pereimeter of the coop.

This looks awesome! I wish I knew more about how to work with PVC - I really like how you did the roof. And those are some good ideas with shade cloth, tarps, and perches.

I ended up doing a flat frame of top rail covered with hardware cloth, elevated 1.5" at one side to shed the rain, and encourage airflow at the top of the run. I tried to cover the run with plastic from the hardware store, but the wind load is too much for the zip ties I was using to secure the roof, and I'm not sure I want to use wood up there to secure the plastic due to weight, so I'm waiting for my tarp to arrive.

We might be having a tornado soon, so we'll see how it holds up to the wind and rain. The plastic alone, for all that it's looking a bit tattered and is missing a few spots, has done a surprisingly good job keeping the floor dry.

I'll have to add pictures once I'm done - the meat chickens are waiting on me, and I keep forgetting my phone when I go out to build it.

 

[Brizi]

Here are some photos of our chain link dog kennel chicken coop. The green shade cloth in the first photo faces east. All three sides of the top half of the back of the coop is covered with vinyl siding that I got at a yard sale.

Hey there! Can you tell me how you attached that hardware cloth to the chain link fence?

 

[Percheron chick]

I just cut short pieces of hot wire and use them as twist ties to secure the HW cloth. Zip ties work fine too

 

[Jackisews]

Hey there! Can you tell me how you attached that hardware cloth to the chain link fence?

Hog nose rings. Also short pieces of wire where the hog nose rings could not be used.

 

[ElleEmie]

Folks, the search function on this site is failing me. Most of what I can find folks using chain link dog kennels for is moderate security daytime runs. Which is great, but I need to build a top security, fully predator proof Ft. Knox open air covered coop/run. I'm having trouble finding builds and good suggestions and deciding what to do about the following. Can you guys help me?

1) the roof - really stressing this one - need an angled roof of some type across a 10 ft span, and can't decide if having one side of the roof elevated by two feet is the way to go, or if I should run a center beam. Also, do I need to put concrete and 4"x4" fenceposts to support my roof, or can I use 2"x4" lumber to frame it out, or chain link top rail? Money and equipment is an issue. I think I have to run some wood around the bottom to secure the chain link to the bottom rail and to the hardware cloth, but that would be on the outside of the run. I plan to run hardware cloth over all sides and top of the coop/run, and put up a transparent tarp for rain and wild bird poop protection, so the weight of rain is mainly what the roof will see. We get snow maybe two days a year, a couple inches, so that's not an issue.

2) predator proofing all areas (doors, roof, ground) - why the heck anyone would build round edges and doorways I will never understand. So much more of a pain to reduce the opening size to 1/2" or less, and I'm looking for a good way to do that.

Attachment suggestions for 3) securing the chain link to the top and bottom rails - it's pretty floppy at the moment. All I could think was chain link metal fence ties, but that would be super expensive because of the quantity and a pain to secure every single square. Do they sell that wire by the roll? How far apart can the ties be before a predator can push under the chain link fabric? My 3 ft apron will be secured to the base of the coop (probably to 2x4s like I did for my previous coop) and to the ground with a multitude of yard staples.

Attachment suggestions for 4) securing the hardware cloth to the chain link. I have hog ties available (hated them last time, but maybe attaching to chain link is easier?) and metal zip ties. Also screws and 1" washers. I have maybe 12 2"x4" that are 8 ft long, and maybe 10 that are 10 ft long. I have ordered all the needed hardware cloth in 6ft height for the sides and roof, and 3ft height for the apron.

Current setup is 10ft by 30ft with a door on the north end and south east side. Each chain link panel has rounded corners at the top and is 10ft x 6ft and very light-weight. Tractor supply sells these panels. There's a foot difference in height midway through the east wall, I had to dig a trench and push the fence panel into it in order to get the fence panel to sit flat on the ground.

My previous open air coop/run is here. This one is pretty different on the sides and roof, so I'm struggling a bit.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/have-the-chickens-now-i-need-a-coop-please-help.1519455/

I want to use this coop to grow out the 24 colored eggers in the incubator, and then for some meat birds, so predator protection is key. Hatch date is in 9 days, so the clock is ticking.... I am super excited for my first hatch, but stressing about this coop. Any help you guys can give would be appreciated!!!

Wow okay

 

[ElleEmie]

Hog nose rings. Also short pieces of wire where the hog nose rings could not be used.

Sounds like a plan