Desperate for sloped run ideas!!!

[SF411chicks]

Hi,
Hoping someone here will have ideas on how to build this run. I am in Colorado and there is no flat area in my yard. With massive stones, it is about impossible to dig by hand. I do have chain link fence on one side. Chain link is mine. The neighbor owns the retaining wall and it ends part way up. I hope to have it 6 ft tall so I can get inside comfortably.

Is it best to stair step? or just follow the slope? OR???? What do I do on the chain link side? Also need roof covering for hawks. Not sure if netting will work with the snow? Will chicken wire work?

The area is about 10 ft wide. And would like to go up to the 2nd railroad tie.(stacked one in photo) about 25 feet from coop. First 2 photos are form were I would like to start the run and looking down at the coop. Next two photos are looking up from the coop.

I am a woman with 10 hens, a few tools, no money and out of ideas....

 

[Angiebubs]

I live in Wisconsin and use bird netting over my run. It comes down once or twice a year when the snow fall is heavy but not too bad all things considered!! One idea-you could use a shorter fence if it was cheaper/easier-then use a pole in the center to hold up the netting. It would then be tall enough for you to go in and out with ease.

As far as what to use for fencing-I would think you would have to go staggered; each section a foot higher?

 

[SF411chicks]

Thank you for the reply. Glad to hear the bird netting works for you. I am sure you get lots of snow in WI. I think I will try it.
Still hoping for more ideas on the slope. I am thinking not to many have this problem . If only I could let them free range, but with wildlife here I don't dare. Thanks again!

 

[Eggette]

Hi,
Hoping someone here will have ideas on how to build this run. I am in Colorado and there is no flat area in my yard. With massive stones, it is about impossible to dig by hand. I do have chain link fence on one side. Chain link is mine. The neighbor owns the retaining wall and it ends part way up. I hope to have it 6 ft tall so I can get inside comfortably.

Is it best to stair step? or just follow the slope? OR???? What do I do on the chain link side? Also need roof covering for hawks. Not sure if netting will work with the snow? Will chicken wire work?

The area is about 10 ft wide. And would like to go up to the 2nd railroad tie.(stacked one in photo) about 25 feet from coop. First 2 photos are form were I would like to start the run and looking down at the coop. Next two photos are looking up from the coop.

I am a woman with 10 hens, a few tools, no money and out of ideas....

I know what it is like to build on a slope, so I feel for your there.

But I actually see a lot of beautiful potential in this spot you've chosen for your run. If you straightened up the rocks a little bit and aligned them a little better in this step formation you've got going here, you could make a lovely sand box for your chickens on the first step and work your way up the slope with an adventurous run that you could fill with collected limbs and logs for your chickens to climb on and explore. As for a cheap inexpensive way to close your run in, I would suggest pvc pipe that you could run from your chain-link fence over and cover with affordable bird or deer netting. Chicken wire would work just fine on the actual frame itself, it would actually be the best choice because it will last the longest. You could either use the chicken wire on the whole thing or just use it to cover the sides of the frame and then cover the top over with netting. I know they say that hawks won't fly into anything they can't get out of, one lady I saw on youtube just used fishing line weaved across the top of her run like a spider web to protect her hens after a hawk got one, she claimed that it worked.
And I know what you mean about wanting the netting 6ft, that is the problem I am having now, I can't clean my run out easily because of the low fence that is covered over with bird netting, so I am going to take pvc pipe and run it in 4 hoops over my 14ft run.
In the pictures you will see what I mean by low fence and the aggravating bird netting.





Don't give up on your run, you have got a great start and a lot of potential there.

When you are finished it will have been worth it and the beauty in the slope and those stubborn rocks your dealing with will all speak for their self in the form of a wonderful project that resulted in happy hens.
I wish I lived near you,

I would gladly come and help you. I love designing and working on coops and runs.

My own coops need some work at the moment, I am suffering from washing problems due to living on a down hill slope. The dirt is starting to wash out from under my fence and the chickens aren't helping none with that by digging huge dust bath holes around it.

So I am going to build a raised flower bed around it and feel it with shade plants.

Good luck and best of wishes on your run.

I hope my advice helps you.

 

[SF411chicks]

Thank you for the reply. I hadn't thought of PVC, that is a great idea. Love the sandbox idea as well. I do plan on arranging the rocks better. Most of them I dug up when I built the chicken coop. It was all I could handle at the time... was to carry them up the hill and drop them wherever. They are some heavy stones, even had to roll a few.

I do have the hardware cloth for most of the siding. The side with the chain link I may just put chicken wire to keep the girls from sticking their heads out. Besides the hawks, I get foxes, coyotes and sometimes even bears, of course there is no stopping them.
I do agree with you, it can be a great run, I have just been stumped on what to do next. It helps posting and getting ideas here. I learn something everyday I visit BYC.

Thank you for sharing your coop! You have some beautiful birds. It also looks so nice and lush with nice trees and shade. Maybe a great spot to hang a hammock and hang out with your girls

. Also can totally relate to the dirt washing out. That is a problem, but it looks like you live in a beautiful area.

You have given me some great ideas!

 

[Eggette]

Thank you for the reply. I hadn't thought of PVC, that is a great idea. Love the sandbox idea as well. I do plan on arranging the rocks better. Most of them I dug up when I built the chicken coop. It was all I could handle at the time... was to carry them up the hill and drop them wherever. They are some heavy stones, even had to roll a few.

I do have the hardware cloth for most of the siding. The side with the chain link I may just put chicken wire to keep the girls from sticking their heads out. Besides the hawks, I get foxes, coyotes and sometimes even bears, of course there is no stopping them.
I do agree with you, it can be a great run, I have just been stumped on what to do next. It helps posting and getting ideas here. I learn something everyday I visit BYC.

Thank you for sharing your coop! You have some beautiful birds. It also looks so nice and lush with nice trees and shade. Maybe a great spot to hang a hammock and hang out with your girls

. Also can totally relate to the dirt washing out. That is a problem, but it looks like you live in a beautiful area.

You have given me some great ideas!

Thanks, and I'm so glad I could help you.

And you look like you live in a beautiful area too. I love those cedar trees off to the side of your run, they are lovely,

they certainly will provide your girls with some nice shade.

And yes I would run the chicken wire down the inside of the chain-link fence to keep your girls from sticking their heads through it. My mom and dad told me horror stories about when they had chickens and the neighborhood dogs came by and got them to stick their heads through the fence holes so they could bite them off.

So my mom is now adamant

about me running chicken wire around the bottom part of all my runs. I recently bought a nice size dog kennel

online for local pickup only that was a steal of a price.

You can vaguely see it in picture two's background,

hint look for the ladder. I plan on using it for a small flock of Buff Minorcas I got recently from Mcmurray, for now though my little Easter Eggers

are going in it. But before I put any bird in it,

I'm going to run 1/2" chicken wire around the bottom sides to protect my birds from sticking their heads through the large holes.

Please continue to post pictures of your progress on it so all of us on BYC can see how you fair in your project.

Oh I'm so excited! I can't wait to see how it turns out in the end.

 

[Angiebubs]

I just spent this past weekend putting 2 ft of chicken wire around the bottom of my run (800+ sq ft). For me, it was so the new chicks (13) cant run out of the run and freak mom out. We have a dog that keeps predators away from the run, but dont trust her with the babies either!

We painted the barn over the 4th of July weekend (coop is part of the barn) so my next project is re attaching/replacing the netting over the run.

Good luck!

 

[SF411chicks]

Sounds like you have a lot of chicken and space! How fun having new little chicks. Did you hatch them yourself? Would love to see photos. I have 10, a mix of 3 road Islands, 3 barred rocks and 4 australorps. Just got my first egg on Sunday. So exciting!

 

[SF411chicks]

Eggette Is that a rabbit I see? The dog kennel is great, I saw someone using the same kind in their coop on a chicken coop tour. You can get lots of good ideas and meet fellow chicken owners. She also had a large plastic storage container in the run with a large hole cut out of the side for the chickens to lay eggs in. So many ideas out there just need more space. And A little flat space would be nice

.

 

[Angiebubs]

Sounds like you have a lot of chicken and space! How fun having new little chicks. Did you hatch them yourself? Would love to see photos. I have 10, a mix of 3 road Islands, 3 barred rocks and 4 australorps. Just got my first egg on Sunday. So exciting!

I had 24 until these new chicks which make 37 Dependent on how many are boys, will determine how many I end up with. Here are some pics:
New Salmon Faverolles chicks 2 wks old







Brown chick is from a Lavender Faverolles project


My inside coop. Back on right side behind sawhorse is a 4x4x4 brooder area.



You can see the run attached to barn/coop (Unpainted in this pic) in far back right