Huge Chicken Coop

[Monkeysmom5018]

My hubby built a shed like frame with 2/4s and then We ran welded wire all around it and then chicken wire over the welded wire

 

[MrPepers]

Here's a pic from inside, the supporting poles are in holes a foot or so deep and the wire goes a little way underground too to stop foxes or whatever digging under.View attachment 1099630

That is an excellent design! Thank you for posting that pic.

 

[SueT]

Okay ya'll he asked about building a 50x50 run and everybody went off the deep end and started talkin about him using chicken wire. He has done fine with chicken wire (i've been on another post with him where he states [as he did here] that he has never had a problem using chicken wire). He has used it for years and it works for him. So did anybody have any advice for him on actually building a 50x50 enclosure? I am also someone that cannot use chicken wire as a raccoon opened a chain link dog kennel with his bare hands and walked in and opened two rabbit cages and pulled them out and killed them, so I too use hardware cloth. I have a 50x30 enclosure @MrPepers but mine is built into a lean-to on a shed/barn so I wouldn't be help on a freestanding one. I'm excited for your chicks to have more room though!

I have, for 9 chickens, a 1000 sq ft run that wraps around a barn. The greatest overhead expanse is 25' and I have covered it with stretchy deer netting fastened w zip ties. I realize this is not predator proof, but I think it's hawk resistant and the coyotes that had chased our free range hens have not attempted to get in. Sides have welded wire. They are locked in a secure coop at night. This netting is strong...our kitten plays trampoline on it, branches have fallen on it...but I know a determined raccoon could get in. It's just about weighing the option of a big roomy habitat that actually has plants in it against a little crowded run.

 

[jvls1942]

I just read every post up to here.
I and a friend covered a yard for a woman.
we used chicken wire over the whole thing.
It was 50 feet by 130 feet.
it was to keep her cats from getting out.

pepers didn't say where he is from.
but poultry netting, ground cover cloth etc are no good where it snows.
I built a 12 x 25 foot fly pen. I put chicken wire over the whole top.
the walls are 1 inch square 10 gage wire.
the walls are 8 feet tall.

I would not use wood rails to hold up the "roor" on a chicken yard. wood rots.
get some heavy wire and stretch it from post to post on the opposite side of the yard.
support it with a post wherever the wires cross. then just lay your chicken wire over it.
tie it down with wire. don't use plastic zip ties,
they will deteriorate from the sun.

make the outside posts plenty tall so that you can walk in the yard without having to duck.

there used to be a fencing, 6 feet tall called yard guard if I remember correctly.
at the bottom it had very tiny rectangular holes. and the rectangles got larger the higher it went. I think it topped out at 2 inch x 3 inch squares at the top.

for my present run, I have 4 feet of cyclone fence with 1 inch chicken wire attached to the bottom 2 feet of it.

I don't worry about preds, I have a pair of Maremma LGD. like in the picture..
we haven't lost a bird in the past 8 years since we got these dogs.
my chickens are free ranging and we do not lock the coop at night.

we have a river running half way around out porperty.
and we have all the preds except mt lions.
although I did see one about 4 miles from my house..

 

[MrPepers]

Thank you for the advice @jvls1942! It doesn't snow that often where a live (maybe a few inches every couple years) so that won't be an issue. I was planning on using all redwood construction to avoid rot, but I will look into using wire to hold it up.

 

[DesertBird]

On the topic of chicken wire (sorry to bring it back up), is it strong enough to keep a cat out? Should I double it up? It'll be on a large run like MrPepers'. Found a large cache of it that's not even a year old in my shed, and am planning on using it for a run, if I can. Cats, owls, and maybe hawks (? I haven't seen any in my yard, but maybe my chickens will attract them some day.) are my only concern, as my yard is already fenced in, but this is just my double reinforcement for peace of mind and what not. Also, the cats already jump the fence around my yard as is. My chickens will be in their coop by the time the owl decides he wants to fly around my yard, and the cats usually only show up at night, too. Just wondering if I should get hardware cloth or welded wire instead!

 

[SueT]

Here's a pic of the run described in post #63, with the deer netting across the top..you can see the netting in the top corner of the pic. It sags a little across the wide expanse of 25'. It didn't rip when coated with thick ice last winter. It's an inexpensive option, but as I said, I'm not claiming it's safe. It keeps our flighty chickens in and hawks out. Sides are cattle panels w welded wire. So far, fingers crossed, nothing has tried to get in.

 

[MrPepers]

On the topic of chicken wire (sorry to bring it back up), is it strong enough to keep a cat out? Should I double it up? It'll be on a large run like MrPepers'. Found a large cache of it that's not even a year old in my shed, and am planning on using it for a run, if I can. Cats, owls, and maybe hawks (? I haven't seen any in my yard, but maybe my chickens will attract them some day.) are my only concern, as my yard is already fenced in, but this is just my double reinforcement for peace of mind and what not. Also, the cats already jump the fence around my yard as is. My chickens will be in their coop by the time the owl decides he wants to fly around my yard, and the cats usually only show up at night, too. Just wondering if I should get hardware cloth or welded wire instead!

Is the chicken wire 1in or 2in. 2in is very flimsy and would definitely need to be doubled up. I have had 1 in. wire on my coop for 14 years and never lost a bird to predators.

 

[DesertBird]

Is the chicken wire 1in or 2in. 2in is very flimsy and would definitely need to be doubled up. I have had 1 in. wire on my coop for 14 years and never lost a bird to predators.

I'm not sure, I'd say about 1 and 1/2inches? It does give and bend kinda easily; I used it on a temporary A-frame coop's front portion leading to the run and kept falling into it as I tried to squeeze by the coop and my shed. Thank gosh I didn't fall through it and crush my chickens!

 

[Leighe]

Here's a pic from inside, the supporting poles are in holes a foot or so deep and the wire goes a little way underground too to stop foxes or whatever digging under.View attachment 1099630

I LOVE IT! I am going to "borrow"....okay, okay "steal" your idea, lol.