Fencing in a 10x20ish run. Need suggestions please.

[Toothpick]

New 8x10 coop (shed conversion) will be delivered and set up Tuesday. This leaves me to set up the run. I'm going to go at least a 10x20 because this will leave 8-10 square feet per bird. I'm going to have at least 20 chickens. In reality I will probably make it closer to 10x30.

The easy fence is T-Posts and chicken wire. Not exactly predator proof but should do a good job keeping the chickens in. This would end up being roughly 6ft high. Flimsy but inexpensive.

My other option is a wooden fence with chicken wire/hardware cloth tacked to it. 4x4 posts every 8 feet or so with 2x6 or 2x8 lumber attached to create the fence. Then tack the chicken wire to the wooden posts and planks. This would end up being roughly 6-7 foot high. A lot sturdier but also a lot more expensive. A bit more predator proof.

A concern I have with the 4x4 posts is being able to dig down 1-2ft with a post hole digger. The soil is really rocky in some areas here.

Do y'all have any other suggestions for run fencing? Other than electrified poultry netting.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We use 2x4 welded wire, comes in 3, 4, 5, and 6 foot height. You can run a more sturdy fencing along the bottom like hardware cloth or rabbit fencing if you have predator issues. Chicken wire will corrode and fall apart in about 5 years and will need replacing.

Another option is a few feet of wooden fence topped off by welded wire to whatever height you need.

Predators and the risk of them, as well as the risks you are willing to take will factor into your run construction. I just would never use chicken wire.

 

[Toothpick]

I have chicken wire in use on a 20x26 run now and it's rubbish. Just used light duty posts. It's sagging and flimsy. First run, first chickens, lesson learned. I thought maybe the heavy duty t-posts would help.

The welded wire....is that the same as cattle fence?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have chicken wire in use on a 20x26 run now and it's rubbish. Just used light duty posts. It's sagging and flimsy. First run, first chickens, lesson learned. I thought maybe the heavy duty t-posts would help.

The welded wire....is that the same as cattle fence?

I guess it's called livestock fencing. Comes in rolls of 25, 50, and 100 feet, and even longer too. We use it on everything here, goats, turkeys, chickens. There is different gauges and durability depending on what you want to pay.

 

[User395221]

A lot sturdier but also a lot more expensive.

Have you figured out materials and actually costed it? My girls used to have an open-topped yard with star pickets (what you call T-posts) and aviary mesh. When I put up their attached run so I could mesh the roof and keep the wild birds out of their dinner, I used pine poles. To buy new, from the hardware shop, the pine poles are actually cheaper than the long star pickets. If you can get recycled materials you can bring the cost right down even more.

I used a manual post hole digger. Luckily I had my "hutch helper" help me put up the run and she thought using the post hole digger was "fun". I had quite a lot of tree roots to deal with. It was a bit of a pain in the neck getting the holes done, but we got there. You can also hire mechanical augers which make digging holes much easier. If you have a hire place near you, you could investigate that.

I'd cost the lot including hiring an auger/getting a helper and then decide. Cost is only one aspect - covering the yard was important to me when the crows and pigeons were eating my purchased food. Factor that in to your costings if your run will be open or covered.

 

[Toothpick]

I have did a rough estimate and the wooden fence comes out maybe a hundred bucks more. But that's using top shelf wood too. Pressure treated lumber. I don't need the great stuff for the fence panels since they can be painted and replaced easily.

I'm leaning more and more towards making the wooden fence and covering it with the welded wire. It's great to hear suggestions and bounce ideas off one another.

I guess it's called livestock fencing. Comes in rolls of 25, 50, and 100 feet, and even longer too. We use it on everything here, goats, turkeys, chickens. There is different gauges and durability depending on what you want to pay.

Thanks, we are thinking of the same thing then. This is what I'm going to go with no matter what posts I decide to use. It just makes more sense than the chicken wire.

 

[User395221]

For a hundred bucks, I'd go for the permanent solution - do it once, do it right, then relax.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I have chicken wire in use on a 20x26 run now and it's rubbish. Just used light duty posts. It's sagging and flimsy. First run, first chickens, lesson learned. I thought maybe the heavy duty t-posts would help.

The welded wire....is that the same as cattle fence?

We got welded wire for our birds...
http://www.redbrand.com/Products/OtherProducts/WeldedWire.aspx?nomobile=1
Our first run ever was chicken wire. It stretched out and rusted fast. I guess it wasn't galvanized.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Deciding if you will be covering the run is a huge factor. My coop and attached run were in place when I moved in. It is t posts with welded wire and rail road ties around the base. I wanted to put some sort of air predator protection up but have no way to support it or attach it to the top of the welded wire.
In the end I bought a car port and a game bird net.
If you're wanting the run to be predator proof from air and land a sturdy structure is a must.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

This is ours---10 x 20, pressure treated wood, completely enclosed with 1/2" hardware cloth, including the top.
Still to come---a polycarbonate roof on half of the run (before winter!!!) and some other tweaks.
Work in progress but we feel the girls are safe and they seem quite happy. We have six young ladies.
We hand-dug the post holes because we have way too many rocks that would have busted a rented post-hole digger. Good times.