Fencing Help

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

We also live in Western Washington. With the predators in this area, I would definitely recommend a skirting or put wire down in the ground (skirting is easier). Also with the hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, racoons, etc, we put a fenced roof on the run. (See picture below how we have the run). Run is 4 ft tall. Made 4x4x4 panels. Made a center riser and put a tarp over the top, chickens can't be seen from the air, protected from rain and what snow we get. Had coyotes and rats come up to coop and run, wasn't able to get in.
Hope this helps, good luck. Julie

 

[AmyJane725]

The quote was for Redbrand Non Climb Horse Fence (the kind with wrapped wire knots, rather than welds). And that would be attached to metal stakes in the ground. Though if I go for the buried fence the guy said the posts would be set in concrete and everything.

This kind of stuff: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-horse-fence-72-in-x-100-ft?cm_vc=-10005

At this point I think I'm just going to go all out. I've decided the old coop (from when I was a kid) is old and dingy. It would be nice to just have something fresh and new and with some of the nicer features (like a pull out litter tray) and nesting boxes with a roof or back panel that folds down for easy egg collection.

So, that being said, what is ideal? Is a purely redbrand wire fence fine, or should I be doing something like you mentioned with wood panels fitted with wire mesh? Is that more of a cosmetic thing, or is it functional too?

How high off the ground should the coop be? 2 feet maybe? And I'm currently planning on having like 8-10 chickens, (but I've also heard of chicken math, so...). How big should the coop be? I've read 4 sqft per bird, so 32-40 sqft? Would just doing 50 make sense? That seems pretty big. My bedroom is 98 sqft...

A run isn't necessary if the coop opens into a totally enclosed area right (essentially a giant run)? Sorry if these questions are stupid. There's so much to take in.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

The quote was for Redbrand Non Climb Horse Fence (the kind with wrapped wire knots, rather than welds).

This kind of stuff: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-horse-fence-72-in-x-100-ft?cm_vc=-10005

A run isn't necessary if the coop opens into a totally enclosed area right (essentially a giant run)? Sorry if these questions are stupid. There's so much to take in.

Never a stupid question. I would still recommend hardwire cloth for the giant run since raccoons can reach in easily and grab a chicken through it. A fox and coyote can still scale it or climb underneath if it’s not buried.

 

[AmyJane725]

Hm, I didn't even ask about a gate. That would be a good idea. Our entrances in the past have just been where the ends of the fencing meet and we bent the loose wires into hook shapes to secure it. Kind of ramshackle.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The quote was for Redbrand Non Climb Horse Fence (the kind with wrapped wire knots, rather than welds). And that would be attached to metal stakes in the ground. Though if I go for the buried fence the guy said the posts would be set in concrete and everything.

How high off the ground should the coop be? 2 feet maybe? And I'm currently planning on having like 8-10 chickens, (but I've also heard of chicken math, so...). How big should the coop be? I've read 4 sqft per bird, so 32-40 sqft? Would just doing 50 make sense? That seems pretty big. My bedroom is 98 sqft...

A run isn't necessary if the coop opens into a totally enclosed area right (essentially a giant run)? Sorry if these questions are stupid. There's so much to take in.

That fence material you linked should work fine (looks 1"x2"?), though I think I'd opt to install a smaller mesh apron vs burying some of the fence downwards, as I feel it provides better protection against pests like rats. While that is fairly easy to install it might be something you'd have to do yourself afterwards.

If you're doing a raised coop the clearance underneath can be larger or smaller, depending on if you want to use that space or not. Mine is about 6" off the ground to keep it out of water and mud - because I do not want chickens (or rodents) to get under it I have a hardware cloth apron around it. if you want the chickens to be able to use the space underneath I'd say raise it at least 18", though you also need to think about how you can access it, in case you have a sick chicken or a hen laying down there and need to reach them.

Regarding coop size, aim for about 4 sq ft per bird as during rainy or snowy days they may not want to come out. So if you're thinking 10 birds, aim for around 40 sq ft floor space. If you think that chicken math will be an issue, go bigger if you can. My coop is 60 sq ft with 7 birds, so that gives me some wiggle room for expanding the flock (my aim is 12 birds max, eventually).

A run is an enclosed "outdoor" area so it can be huge or smaller. I assume you don't want to free range at all due to predators, so aim for at least 10 sq ft per chicken in the run. More space the better, if your budget and lot can handle it - chickens will use outdoor space much more than coop space. My run is roughly 20' x 25'.

 

[paneubert]

The quote was for Redbrand Non Climb Horse Fence (the kind with wrapped wire knots, rather than welds). And that would be attached to metal stakes in the ground. Though if I go for the buried fence the guy said the posts would be set in concrete and everything.

This kind of stuff: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-horse-fence-72-in-x-100-ft?cm_vc=-10005

At this point I think I'm just going to go all out. I've decided the old coop (from when I was a kid) is old and dingy. It would be nice to just have something fresh and new and with some of the nicer features (like a pull out litter tray) and nesting boxes with a roof or back panel that folds down for easy egg collection.

So, that being said, what is ideal? Is a purely redbrand wire fence fine, or should I be doing something like you mentioned with wood panels fitted with wire mesh? Is that more of a cosmetic thing, or is it functional too?

How high off the ground should the coop be? 2 feet maybe? And I'm currently planning on having like 8-10 chickens, (but I've also heard of chicken math, so...). How big should the coop be? I've read 4 sqft per bird, so 32-40 sqft? Would just doing 50 make sense? That seems pretty big. My bedroom is 98 sqft...

A run isn't necessary if the coop opens into a totally enclosed area right (essentially a giant run)? Sorry if these questions are stupid. There's so much to take in.

Maybe I missed it, but what's the "run" size that will be made with that fencing? I'm just trying to decide if the quote you got from the fence builder is worth $750 or not.

Edit: Based on the pricing for a 100 foot roll from the link you gave being $270, and assuming that is about what the builder is going to charge you for the fencing materials, I can tell you that you can go a lot cheaper without sacrificing quality. For example, this is 72" x 50', 4" x 2" Mesh, Galvanized Welded Wire, 14 Gauge.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RZDRLW/?tag=backy-20

72 bucks. So for 100 feet (same length as the roll you linked from TSC, it would only be $144 dollars versus $270.

If your run is going to need more fencing, the cost savings could add up.

 

[AmyJane725]

You didn't miss it. I never really said a square footage cause I don't honestly know. The guy came out to my house and I showed him the general area and he quoted me. That was when I was planning on fencing in my old coop though. Now that I'm thinking of just having a new custom one done I can be sure of the size of the run.

As a side note, I want a litter tray that pulls out from under the coop. Does anyone have a blueprint of how to build that feature into the coop?

 

[paneubert]

Litter trays can be cool, but it would limit the thickness of any bedding you want in the coop. If you are considering rebuilding the existing coop, why not include either an entire side/wall that hinges open for easy cleanout, or maybe a horizontal hinged door that runs the width of a coop wall and is maybe a foot high, at floor level? Then you can push/scoop out all the dirty bedding onto the ground of the run, or into a wheelbarrow if you have the coop raised enough that the floor is at wheelbarrow height.

 

[paneubert]

Like this..

 

[paneubert]

Or this....