DH and I expanded our run yesterday. It's huge!

[TinyLittleFarm]

The chickens now have a fenced in area that is 900 SF!

It is not predator proof, but it was not intended to be. There is a smaller run attached to the coop that is totally predator proof. Previous to the new run, the birds would free range during the day. However, we have seen various unknown dogs run through our yard, and DH has become a bit frustrated with the amount of poo on the deck and the driveway. So, we fenced in a nice big area for them. All it really needs to do is keep dogs out and keep the chickens out of trouble and the garden.

When they are not supervised, they will be locked in the secure coop/run.

It's just posts and chicken wire, but I'm happy.

 

[Badbaby05]

My chickens would be thrilled!!

 

[Backyard Hencam]

I don't see how anyone can let their chickens free range and still have any kind of a garden. We thought we could let our girls out of their run once in a while to get bugs but their appetites for my vegetables and flowers was too much. Hope this works for you and your hens should be happy once they've adjusted.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Quote:
Can I see pictures of this..." There is a smaller run attached to the coop that is totally predator proof."

I do not want to entirely cage mine in either. We have an area at the end of the house where the owners had a dog run, they took down the fencing but the poles are still there. We are putting chain link back up and it will be about 20x25 for them but under their coop, when we can't be around, we want to enclose that area and make sure that if they see something, they can get in their coop...I would really love to know how you did this.

 

[TinyLittleFarm]

Last spring when we first got chickens we (meaning my husband) built a coop with an attached run. The run is just barely big enough for all the birds to have enough space to poke around in. No biggie since they free range most of the time anyway, but now that we wanted to enclose them more of the time, they have a big yard to play in. Basically the original coop is just inside the larger (less secure) run. We attached the new run right to the sides of the coop. So they can still stay inside the original fort knox when needed.

This is our coop last spring, before the matching shed in the new pic and before the new run.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Ok , this was basically our intent too, make sure they have somewhere to go if need be. We planned on building it off the ground and giving them a run underneath with a small hole to get into if need be...how do they get into the "fort knox area" that prevents others from getting in?

 

[TinyLittleFarm]

Quote:
Well they can come and go into the coop, secure run, and big run as they choose just by leaving the door from the secure run to the yard open. This would not make the secure run secure, though. What I mean is that when we are gone for work for the day or whatever, we just keep them locked them in the enclosed coop/run and let them out into the fenced yard area when we get home.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Thank you...this was our goal too