I need help fast (not an emergency)

[gpamela3499]

I move in three days
I have a pre made small building that will meet coop needs. ( It is too small for much except for sleeping in) I want to elevate it up as well to give more ground space.I need the fastest cheapest run ideas. It can be temporary for a few months. I live in the city but have a possum and raccoon problem. at night. I have 15 chickens.
9 Standards

2 cochin
a leghorn
a russian orloff
two black stars
a barred rock
a wellsummer
a golden comet

6 bantams

a silkie
a frizzle
a sultan
a cochin
a lakenvelder (she is medium really)
a Japanese

all hens laying well

I will need to keep the back neighbors pit from getting them too

and they are pretty good fliers when they want too.
This is an urban back yard.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

need the fastest cheapest run ideas

Welded wire and steel "T-posts"

Clip the wings to keep them in until you can do a permanant run​

 

[Quailbuddy]

what about a dog pen with wire all around and on top or a quick PVC or wood " A" structure . . . good luck and try to keep us updated as you move

 

[Kittymomma]

Either of the above posts and check on CL and anywhere else you can think of for an electric fence charger. If you can find a deal on the charger the rest is pretty inexpensive and electric fence properly installed will keep them safe from raccoons and dogs. It's easy to take with you when you move too.

 

[AmCanyonStables]

If you ever go down 80 toward Dixon, you could stop at TSC and get cattle panels - they are pretty cheep, but you do have to add hardware cloth so the holes are small enough. I also extened mine up with 1x2s and chicken wire above the cattle panels, since they are only 4 feet high and I wanted to be able to walk in the run. (see my page toward the bottom). I always thought the dog run idea or other chain link panels was a good one, but I was never able to find them cheep in our area - they are too popular I guess.

 

[lsomers]

You might want to build one of these hoop houses -- they are very simple to construct, pretty cheap, and good against predators:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=172799&p=1

If you run wire underneath the bottom as well, then you have total predator protection! Apparently they are even warm enough to use in winter.

Good luck!
-Laura

 

[gpamela3499]

Thank you so much for the good ideas. I really like the hoop house for speed and mobility. I also was considering the dog run also but they are very expensive.

 

[LynneP]

Whatever you choose, use lots and lots of 1/2" hardware cloth to prevent raccoons reaching in, and if you can, make an underground flange and/or seal off under the elevated coop with it...sounds like you are under pressure to get it done!

 

[gpamela3499]

I made my move but the run leaves a lot to be desired. It is more of a play yard and those bad girls can fly over it and otherwise get out. It keeps raining here too.

I will be using some of your ideas as soon as I can though

 

[schmism]

2x4 welded fence and T posts

we set up a temp pen for our new chicks around the corner of the coupe were the chicken door is while they are still learning what the coupe is before we start free ranging them. to do this we just make a circle with about 3 stakes. the wire is almost self supporting in a circle (18' dia or so)