future coop and run

[Blooie]

That gate wide enough to bring in a yard cart is something we didn't think about until it was too late. Wish we'd done that.

 

[PapaChaz]

That gate wide enough to bring in a yard cart is something we didn't think about until it was too late. Wish we'd done that.

how did you do the hardware cloth over the cattle panels, lengthwise or over the top? and how did you tie it to the cattle panel? I have a 3 gallon bucket of chain link fence ties that was left in the storage building here (along with 5 16' pieces of chain link fence top rail pipe)

I'm planning on using that as much as possible

 

[Blooie]

We used chicken wire and draped it over the top, one of us on one side and one on the other. If we had to to over again we'd attach the chicken wire to the panels and THEN stand them up and arch them between the fence posts. We used bits of twisted wire to tie the chicken wire down to the cattle panels at the places where the crosspieces of the cattle panel weave meet. Again, hindsight being 20/20, there are actually clips that you can buy that would have made that job a lot faster and we wouldn't have had all of the pokey-outies from the ends of the tie wires.

As for the hardware cloth, that doesn't cover the entire run. We just ran it the length of the run up about 2 feet high, then folded it outward at the bottom where it meets the ground. We bought a spool of that wire that is used for electric fences because it's thin and strong, then literally "sewed" it to the run. He was on the outside of the run and I was on the inside. He'd poke the end of the wire through, I'd make sure it went through both the chicken wire and the crosspieces of the panels, pull out a long length of the "thread" then poke it back out to him. Repeat - forever!

At the ground where the hardware cloth was folded outward, we used landscape staples to hold the edges down.

 

[PapaChaz]

We used chicken wire and draped it over the top, one of us on one side and one on the other. If we had to to over again we'd attach the chicken wire to the panels and THEN stand them up and arch them between the fence posts. We used bits of twisted wire to tie the chicken wire down to the cattle panels at the places where the crosspieces of the cattle panel weave meet. Again, hindsight being 20/20, there are actually clips that you can buy that would have made that job a lot faster and we wouldn't have had all of the pokey-outies from the ends of the tie wires.

As for the hardware cloth, that doesn't cover the entire run. We just ran it the length of the run up about 2 feet high, then folded it outward at the bottom where it meets the ground. We bought a spool of that wire that is used for electric fences because it's thin and strong, then literally "sewed" it to the run. He was on the outside of the run and I was on the inside. He'd poke the end of the wire through, I'd make sure it went through both the chicken wire and the crosspieces of the panels, pull out a long length of the "thread" then poke it back out to him. Repeat - forever!

At the ground where the hardware cloth was folded outward, we used landscape staples to hold the edges down.

ahh, so that's what your coop build page meant by 'sewn'........LOL

laying the HC on the cattle panel before standing it up and arching it sounds like a great idea. of course the cattle panels are 50" and the HC is 48" so I'll probably just tie it on at the ends, then I can take them loose and (hopefully) slide and work them together to permanently attach them, That's a great tip, that roll of HC is heavy, too heavy to roll over the top of a 6'+ archway....I may even use zip ties for my temp ties, cheap -quick-easy on then easy off

 

[aart]

yes indeed, I learned a LOT! that was my second coop build, but the first 'nice' one. The other one was plain and simple a 2x4 frame with chicken wire, hardware cloth 3 nests and a tin roof with a 4 x12 run attached. I actually gave it to my son in law when they moved and he needed a quick place thrown up to house his chickens. that was 5 years ago and that's still all he's using, LOL

as for the second one. That big ole house sitting in the background of one of the pics? I pretty much built it myself, on land that came down through the family. Then I got hurt at work, causing me to be unable to ever hold a meaningful job again, (this is why it's taking me almost a month to build a 10x10 shed, I can't work very long at a time) and the credit union that held our mortgage wouldn't even talk to me about the payments. We lost it, and in the process I gave all my chickens to my son in law, and sold that coop and run. I actually made money on it, so at least there's that, LOL

But yes, I did learn a few things. Which is why this current build is TALL enough to walk in, as well as the run! I was going to work on the run today, I have all the lumber for framing, the cattle panels and hardware cloth, but it's raining.......

I bought lumber to frame, because...........I want to spread the base to 10 feet, but at that spread it's only 64" tall. So I am going to build a frame of 2x12" (very similar to chook a holics 4x6 base), which will give me another 9 or 10 inches of height. I'm also going to set some 4x4 posts in the ground at the end, and build a gate wide enough to get my yard cart in the run, just in case I ever need to.

Oh Bummer, I'm sorry.

 

[PapaChaz]

Oh Bummer, I'm sorry.

thanks, but all is well!

God above takes care of things in his time. We now OWN our home in the country, have pretty late model/low mileage vehicles, I have 14 chicks and building a new coop and run. And the really great thing is we pay utilities, groceries and gas. we don't owe anybody anything

 

[aart]

Quote:

 

[PapaChaz]

Today I started on my run. From what I've seen most people that do these runs, is the spread at the bottom is around 8 1/2 feet, and makes the run a tad over 6 ft tall. I wanted to spread mine to 10 feet, but that was going to put the height at just over 5 ft. I'm framing around the bottom with pressure treated 2x12's, and attaching the cattle panel ends about an inch or so from the top, to give me extra height. Don't mind my messy yard, LOL but here's a pic of the first two cattle panels with HC wrapped over. Thanks to a tip from Blooie, I attached the HC to the panel BEFORE raising it. I used fence staples to attach it to the coop and the 2x12's


as you can see, I attached a 2x4 between them to keep them from spreading apart. I'm extending this another 10 feet, and realized the 2x12x10's I bought aren't pressure treated, so I stopped working on the framing and went to work on the muddy mess. We've had a tremendous amount of rain, which has shown me where I need to build up. In the pic below, you'll see I am filling it with wood chips. Last week, I flagged down one of the tree trimming company trucks and got them to dump me a load of chips.....


Ahhh, the best made plans of mice and men..........the utility trailer I build last year tilts, so I figured I could load it heavy on the back, pull the pin and let it tilt and dump the chips.......BAHAHAHA, was a good idea anyway. I had to go back and load the front of the trailer because it lifted the rear end of the atv off the ground, and then with all the weight on it, the pin was in a bind and I couldn't pull it. I wound up having to shovel it back off the trailer....next time I move wood chips, it will be with the yard cart, I know it dumps........

 

[PapaChaz]

Just about finished the run today. Yesterday I managed to get all the cattle panels set, as well as the posts for the gate. I was having trouble deciding how I wanted to do the end, and the gate. I realized I wasn't going to have enough hardware cloth to completely do the end, so I made sure to cut enough for the gate.



last week we had a carport installed, one of those 'stake it to the ground' type. The guys that did it had an extra piece of metal left from the previous job they had to unload. I told them if they didn't want to have to load it again, just leave it, I'd find a use for it. So they did, HA score!! I used it today on the end of my run, just so happened it was long enough to stand up, trace the curve on the back, cut and attach. I used the metal roofing screws on the wood, then drilled some holes along the line of the cattle panel and used the fence ties to attach it.


Ok, I realize somehow I didn't get any pics of the end of the run after getting it done. The 4 year old grand daughter was here today, and she was in a big hurry to let the chicks out in the pen. Here's a couple pics of the "kids" first adventure outside











I switched it to video mode, and haven't taken the time to upload any youtube yet.

One last one. Blooie made the statement a few pages back that as you work on the coop with them in it, they get more used to you. After a big day outside in the sun today, and getting more used to me as each day goes along, this one settled in on my foot for a long nights sleep. Hated to disturb it, but I had to come in and update the thread, LOL

 

[Blooie]

Fantastic!! It looks really great, and it looks like the girls are going to be very comfortable and secure!

When it came time for us to decide how to close off the end, we also lucked out and found a piece of welded wire fencing. It's too big, and we just attached it square instead of trimming it to the shape of the arch, but I found that the corners where it extends past the arch make a great place to hang tools. Then too, we plan to take it off this spring, expand the run by one panel, then put it back up there. Since there are always slight variations when you add another odd shape (at least that's true of anything Ken and I manage to build!) we won't have to worry about fitting the end precisely.

Great job!