chicken run for the rows in garden - my idea w/ pics

[SimplyForties]

I built a lightweight portable run that I plan to put over the fallow portions of my garden. It also fits in my raised beds so the girls can do the work for me, when the gardening season is over. Check out Garden Girl, where this idea came from -

http://www.gardengirltv.com/pets_small_livestock_raising_chickens_rabbits_goats.html

scroll about 1/2 way down this page and you'll see pictures of the run set up in a raised bed. I have high hopes!

 

[montcapu]

you guys have had some really great ideas and I have started a small tractor with a detatchable run so I can move in 2 pieces verse only one, (I figured that may be tough) I will have pictures of what I have finsihed soon, depends on if I can get the kids to settle down long enough to go outside and take the pics. the coop is not pretty by any means but I say it only has to be functual.

I plan on having my chickens on one row every other day, they will have access to the grass on the out side of the garden, so I do not fear anything "burning", plus I will be watering after they are in it, so diluting the poop shouldn;t hurt anything.

anymore ideas??

 

[chickachickadoo]

Great ideas here. Just yesterday I was looking at a bread rack and thinking that it could be used somewhere, lol.

 

[GardeNerd]

I use a wire dog pen in my veggie garden paths and around the odd shaped parts of my yard. It collapses when I am not using it and it adjusts into almost any shape or size I need it to be. I attach bird netting with clips to keep hawks out. Here are a few pics I had, but none in the path ways unfortunately. (I am a visual learner, so I like pictures!)

Here I have three sections hooked together to allow the big girls to see the younger girls without being able to cause problems.

We are not supposed to free range in our town, so it is my substitute. It is not safe overnight accommodations since we have raccoons around. The girls get put back into the coop.

 

[montcapu]

thanks for the pics, I get where you are going with it.

I do not plan on letting the girls live in it at night and I am here all the time and with the 6 kids I have over the summer we will be outside alot, never have had any issue with predators (knock on wood) just an occasional cat strolling in the yard, but usually the dog runs it off, had one chicken lost in 2 years and she must of gotten out somehow over the holiday weekend and have not seen her since, so I do not worry so much about predators.

I may use as a outside broody pen so the new little ones (not here yet) can be outside and enjoy the weather... but we will see what goes on and how I like it.

I will be posting pics soon, I tore apart one wood fence panel and have used a few pieces of wood in scrap pile to complete what I have done. It definetly looks old, but hey I figure as long as it keeps the birds in where I want them then I am happy

 

[montcapu]

here is what I have done so far with the mini coop/ garden run. I took apart an old wooden privacy fence b/c some of the pieces were broken and would not be able to use it again. I also had some left over scrap pieces of wood from other projects.

the mini coop is just the wood panels from the fence lined ontop of of each other. the roof is pitched to help the rain run off. it will have a small hinged opening so I can put the chickens in from there, as soon as I get the hinges I will finish that.

I will putting on the chicken wire probably tommorrow (depends on weather and if I go get the staples to secure it.)

the detachable run will be attached with some sort of gate lock or something, will see what they have at hardware store that will work, so I can take the run off seperatly and move it to the next row.

I am pretty pleased as how it is turning out b/c it is really the first thing I have built by myself, and of course thing that I have all have been rummaged up somewhere on my property so it has been a cheap solution to what I wanted to do.

here are some pics

see how the run will be detached

here is the run in the garden

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
That's an awesome site-thanks for sharing!

 

[montcapu]

definetly agree that website has some really good ideas about alot of different things

 

[GardeNerd]

Quote:
It is looking great! I can't wait to see the finished photos.

 

[montcapu]

yeah I like how it is turning out, as long as it serves its function I am happy, I am sure in teh coming years I will make something better but it will do for what I want out of it.

my 7 year old daughter is just like me she is out helping me and helping me screw everything together, it has been fun working with her cause she is learning to be self sufficent at a young age and I know she can do whatever she wants to do when she grows up