Chicken run improvement suggestions anyone?

[Laetha]

We recently bought a house and a 6 bay shop. Attached to the end of the shop is four “stalls”. Along the backside of the shop is a fenced in area (fenced is a strong word lol). The stall closest to the run was converted into a chicken coop with a raisable door. We have our chickens in there now and have been there since they got full feathers in June.

We lost 5 chickens recently to predation. I have no idea what kind of predator. Two the the first time (during the daytime) and three the next (during the night). I have since started closing up the coop door at night as well as I put a camera on them (if I’m honest I wanted one anyway. I love watching them).

We have owls and skunks for sure. We live in Eastern Idaho. I would LOVE to just put up tall fencing and then net the top but that isn’t an option financially at the moment. I welcome ANY and ALL suggestions for improving our run and subsequently our feathered babies lives as well as any suggestions for trying to keep the predators at bay.

I have attached some photos of the run. The red coop isn’t in use at the moment. We were thinking of using it as a breeder area for any girls with babies. Thank you BYCers!

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you reinforce the fence with some electric wires?

Not much good against what will climb in through the trees, but good against dogs, coyotes, etc.

 

[21hens-incharge]

How many birds do you have.....or plan to have in the future?

So.....just the short field fence is what I see. There are some options but everything will depend on how much of that fence you have and how big an area you need fenced in.

 

[Laetha]

Can you reinforce the fence with some electric wires?

Not much good against what will climb in through the trees, but good against dogs, coyotes, etc.

That sounds like a great idea. We recently installed power and lights in the stalls so that should be totally doable.

 

[Laetha]

How many birds do you have.....or plan to have in the future?

So.....just the short field fence is what I see. There are some options but everything will depend on how much of that fence you have and how big an area you need fenced in.

Right now we have 10 larger ones that are about to start laying and 6 smaller ones that are probably a few months from laying. I would probably like to have around 25 total. The run is 80 feet by about 30. It has a short field fence on three sides and then the shop wall on the fourth. There is traditional chicken wire on the lower two feet or so of the fence on the three sides. I would like to keep that entire run for them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

For now....to make things secure and not have to break the bank to much.....you may need to make it temporarily smaller.

My thoughts......

Use existing field fence but add framing out of wood to give it structure. Turn the fence so what is long now becomes tall....if that makes sense how I said it....


A super quick sketch....the fence would be held upright with the wood frame. Posts sunk into concrete would be my choice for that. Some 2x4's between posts give you additional support for the wire. I would use 2x6's along the bottom. It would be easy(ish) to expand more as $ allows.

 

[Laetha]

I love your thoughts. Has anyone ever accused you of being a genius! Lol. That’s a fantastic idea. I was actually considering doing something somewhat similar. I was thinking of using wood posts and then deer netting to make the sides taller and then using the netting to make a “ceiling” if that makes sense. That coupled with electrifying the existing fence I thought might do it. I really like idea you came up with too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I love your thoughts. Has anyone ever accused you of being a genius! Lol. That’s a fantastic idea. I was actually considering doing something somewhat similar. I was thinking of using wood posts and then deer netting to make the sides taller and then using the netting to make a “ceiling” if that makes sense. That coupled with electrifying the existing fence I thought might do it. I really like idea you came up with too.

Being in a wooded area....I would not trust deer netting at all.
You have ariel and ground predators there for certain. I used chicken wire for years on top of my run. It kept raccoons out but I would not trust it as anything other than for just the roof. Raccoons can rip through it. For whatever reason they did not when it was on top of my run. It may be a way to stretch your fencing for a bigger space though....field fence on the walls, chicken wire on top. It is a risk but not as bad as just the short fence is now.

 

[ajohn151]

Watch Craigslist and Marketplace for free or super cheap materials you can use to reinforce and make more predator proof. I have found a ton of things that way. Electric wire is a good fairly inexpensive option to keep dogs and other ground predators away. Good luck!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Watch Craigslist and Marketplace for free or super cheap materials you can use to reinforce and make more predator proof. I have found a ton of things that way. Electric wire is a good fairly inexpensive option to keep dogs and other ground predators away. Good luck!

Good idea!

Used metal roofing around the bottom would keep lots of paws out!