How to attach a run to this coop?

[Melky]

A low profile run(being bent over) will get old, a walk in run would be better. I highly recommend using deep litter in your run, if you want a run that will not smell bad. Check amazon and walmart.com for hardware cloth, they usually have better prices than big box stores.

Make it high enough you can walk in. Bent over gets old quick. Two foot apron with hardware cloth on bottom around run is great idea to deter digging predators. Getting chic back in is easy when ready get used to calling them and have food they can’t turn down mine is mealworms. I now just wait and they take themselves in. Mine love to go back in to a fresh clean coop. I clean as soon as they go out.

 

[8 Chicks 1967]

finished this one today.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Agree with the others that are pointing out that walk in height is best. Having to stoop or even crawl to get to an injured chicken, to clean, to do anything, will get old fast. I really think a dog kennel with some additional hardware cloth is the easiest way to make a secure run for a small flock.

 

[snow5164]

You could make a small hoop tractor that’s light weight so you could pick it up to clean it ....we lift ours up to collect eggs.Its 4x6 feet

Make a 2x6 frame on the ground
Bend pvc pipes or plastic tubes of some time , screw them on at least 4 of them .cover with hardware cloth.

Or use cattle panels and no pvc required
Like this picture from google

Utube has many videos of hoop tractors for chickens , could be good for your flock , we added a tarp over 1/3 of it for rain and sunshine .

 

[Melky]

View attachment 1523325 finished this one today.

Coop job on coop and run!

 

[snow5164]

Obviously you know what you want in a run so why ask for ideas ?? Some of us that have done this for years have a few ideas ... done following this thread

 

[Nat and Ana]

Thanks for the responses!! I am totally leaning toward the taller pen now that I've had a temporary run set up with old toddler play gates. It's about 2.5 feet high and I have extra gate on top to keep hawks out and birds in. But Zelda is my escape artist and even supervised she finds a way out.
So I'm hoping I can find something on craigslist that I can modify to keep the birds safe. I'm thinking the dog kennel might be the best option. Still figuring out how to attach it to the coop is still an issue. I'd hate to put the coop inside and lose that space... but that might be the only option.
Thanks everyone!

 

[roosterhavoc]

If you know you have fox, coyote and bobcats you would probably be better off with the coop inside of a fenced area with electric around it. Setting up an electric fence with 2x4 welded wire and t-posts will probably cost a bit more but not as much as you think once you figure in the cost of hardware cloth.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Having a hot wire close to the ground will stop everything in their tracks. A fox tried digging but figured it wasn’t worth being electrocuted.

 

[bigz1983]

Here's what I'm thinking.

Lift the coop up on a treated 2"x4' frame and enclose the underside frame in hardware cloth.
This will make for less bending when cleaning the coop and gathering eggs.

Plus for additional run space make a box type rectangular chicken run out of treated 2"x4"s with dimensions 8' long 4' wide 2' high also wrapped in hardware cloth.

Make a 4'x4' door at the top to access chickens/feed/water.